A terrifying blast erupted outside the major northern Syrian city of Aleppo overnight, which caused area residents to evacuate their homes, and with sustained explosions visible for miles around.
The explosion happened at an army base in an outlying town, injuring at least four people, after which a series of blasts persisted, which unleashed shrapnel across the area.
State media outlet SANA later cited Ministry of Emergency and Disaster Management which indicated an ammunition depot was detonated.
Amid local evacuations, emergency crews were on “high alert… due to the continued explosions” – after being initially unable to get close given persisting and follow-on explosions.
An eyewitness in Aleppo’s Hamdaniyeh neighborhood told AFP of a “huge explosion” and that people in the area could see “large flames in the distance”.
Typically the first fear that Syrians have is that they are once again under attack by Israeli fighter jets, given this is a scenario which has played out literally hundreds of times over the past several years of conflict. There have been no initial statements describing what caused the disaster.
But several munitions and military warehouse accidents have occurred under the new Jolani government of late.
Hellbound and Down 