Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Asharq Al-Awsat
Asharq Al-Awsat
World
London - Asharq Al-Awsat

Syrian Observatory: Regime Officers Destroy 2 Arms Depots Belonging to Iran-Backed Militias

Illustrative: A fireball lights up the night sky near Damascus during an attack on a target near the capital on February 13, 2020. (Screen capture: Al-Ikhbariyah Syria TV)

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said it obtained detailed information about the violent explosions that hit the eastern countryside of Homs at dawn on Tuesday.

It said the region holds two ammunition and arms depots belonging to Iranian militias. Regime forces were tasked with protecting the warehouses.

The rights monitor said regime officers set off the explosions after they stole the entire cache at one of the depots to use for their own personal interests.

It revealed that the militias were planning on transporting the weapons and ammunition from the depots that same day. They informed the officers of their intentions, prompting them to set off the explosions to cover up their theft.

The Observatory had reported explosions in various regions in the Homs countryside.

The blasts went on for several hours, sparking panic among the population as shrapnel and rockets were set off from the depot.

Reports at the time could not determine the cause of the explosions, whether they were sabotage, a result of a foreign attack or a technical error.

Rescue and fire teams and ambulances were dispatched to the site of the explosion. No reports have emerged about whether there were any casualties.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.