Full story
Binnish ammo-vehicle blast
A vehicle loaded with ammunition exploded in the town of Binnish in Syria’s Idlib countryside on Tuesday, according to Syrian authorities and a security source quoted by SANA.
“A vehicle loaded with ammunition has exploded in the town of Binnish”
Al-Ikhbariya reported that at least five people were killed and five others wounded, while the Idlib Emergency and Disaster Management Directorate had earlier reported two killed and at least eight wounded.
The explosion destroyed two vehicles in the vicinity, and emergency response teams were dispatched to the scene with the wounded transported to nearby hospitals.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the explosion caused panic among residents, and it reported that ammunition continued exploding after the initial incident, creating the risk of further blasts as well as flying ammunition and shrapnel.
Conflicting casualty counts
The Idlib Emergency and Disaster Management Directorate described the casualty toll as preliminary, with Shafaq News saying two people were killed and five others wounded in Binnish.
The Jerusalem Post reported that at least five people were killed and several others wounded after the vehicle loaded with ammunition exploded in Binnish, citing Syrian authorities and reports by SANA and state broadcaster Al Ikhbariah TV.
It also said exact casualty counts differed between reports, with the Idlib Emergency and Disaster Management Directorate naming five wounded while Anadolu Agency reported eight were wounded.
Residents of Binnish reported hearing a series of powerful explosions, prompting concern in the town as uncertainty remained over the source and nature of the blasts.
Security fragility and risk
The incident prompted emergency response measures, with The National reporting that civil defence teams were still searching for missing people and securing the scene of the blast after a vehicle carrying munitions exploded in Binnish.
“"I saw human remains as I was heading to work"”
The National quoted Mustafa Droubi, whose home is close to the site of the explosion, saying, "I saw human remains as I was heading to work," and it quoted him adding, "It was a very powerful explosion."
In parallel, Middle East Online said the official Syrian Al-Ikhbariyah News Channel quoted the commander of the Emergency Operations and Disaster Management Directorate in Idlib, Walid Aslan, who said that two teams specialized in handling ammunition arrived and that four ambulances and search and rescue teams, as well as firefighting units, were dispatched.
Middle East Online also said authorities do not rule out sabotage or the involvement of ISIS cells in the Binnish explosion, while a secondary possibility remains that the explosion was incidental and caused by transferring ammunition.