Explosion at Arms Depot in Northern Idlib Leaves Civilian Casualties

A powerful explosion occurred on the northern outskirts of Idlib city today, Thursday, resulting in civilian casualties, according to local sources. Initial information indicated that the explosion took place at an improvised warehouse for ammunition and war remnants, without revealing the direct cause of the incident.

Local activists reported that the intensity of the explosion scattered shrapnel over long distances, causing material damage and injuries among civilians on the main road linking Idlib and Maarat Misrin, where cars and motorcycles were hit near the explosion site.

Civil defense and ambulance teams immediately headed to the scene, but no official party has announced a final toll of the victims so far. This incident marks a new episode in a series of recurrent explosions caused by makeshift warehouses and war remnants, which have become a constant threat to the population in Syria, amid a lack of effective measures to mitigate them.

The British organization "Halo Trust," specialized in mine clearance, recently warned of a sharp rise in civilian casualties due to unexploded ordnance, especially with the start of the summer holidays and the return of thousands of displaced persons and refugees to their areas that witnessed fierce battles in recent years.

The organization revealed a "significant increase in reports received through its hotline in Idlib," and medical reports from "Médecins Sans Frontières" indicated that "children account for half of the victims" of these explosions, with Deir ez-Zor province topping the list of most affected areas.