Syria · updated 1h ago · 2 min read
Aleppo Governor Azzam Al-Gharib Urges Residents Not To Approach Al-Ays Explosion Site
Al-Gharib urged residents not to approach the explosion site; hospitals and emergency teams on standby. Powerful explosion at a Syrian army site near Al-Eis, south of Aleppo, with injuries.
Whether the cause was external sabotage or unknown.
7 of 8 outlets skipped it: explosions pointed to an external cause, almost certain sabotage.
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Arab News
“The cause of the explosions was not immediately known as authorities investigate the incident.”Read the original ↗
The National leans on an expert claim of sabotage and external targeting, while others emphasise that the cause is unconfirmed and under investigation.
Aleppo blasts, roads closed
Aleppo governor Azzam al-Gharib urged residents via his Facebook account not to leave their homes or head toward the site of the explosions, insisting that hospitals and ambulance and emergency teams are on standby. SANA reported an “explosion at one of the Syrian Arab Army sites in the vicinity of al-Ays village south of Aleppo,” about 35 kilometers from the city center, and authorities closed roads leading to the area. Aleppo Civil Defense Operations Commander Faisal Mohammed Ali said that the “continuing explosions in the al-Ays area south of Aleppo are hindering the arrival of ambulance and rescue teams to the site,” and he warned civilians not to approach the area.
The Internal Security Command cut roads leading to the explosion site “to protect civilians’ safety,” while the Damascus-Aleppo international highway was cut from the Aleppo side. A resident of the Hamdaniyah neighborhood in Aleppo told AFP that “a loud explosion echoed and we heard it in Aleppo, I went up to the roof and saw, from the west, large flames.”
Injuries evacuated, debate grows
Faisal Mohammed Ali, the Aleppo Operations commander at the Emergency Directorate, said field teams evacuated 4 injuries resulting from the explosion, while authorities continued to work on evacuating nearby houses around the perimeter. Al-Ikhbariyah aired a video showing shrapnel flying dozens of meters into the air at the explosion site, as circulating clips documented rising flames and successive blasts. Al-Jazeera Net described a wave of distrust among activists and bloggers, who questioned whether the repeated blasts were “deliberate or the result of a sabotage operation,” and it cited calls for an official statement.
Al-Jazeera Net also reported that another segment of followers urged not to rush into adopting “deliberate sabotage” without concrete evidence, and it pointed to “poor storage and exposure of ammunition to weather and time” as a primary hypothesis. Al-Jazeera Net noted that the Ministry of Defense announced the burial of 11 soldiers who died due to the explosion at an army site in the Ayaash area west of Deir ez-Zor on September 18.
What authorities say next
Syrian Minister of Emergency and Civil Defense Raed Al-Saleh said the ministry is directly following the developments of the blast incident, warning people not to approach the blast site or move to the areas around it. Aleppo Governor Azam Al-Ghareeb urged residents not to leave their homes, not to go to the explosion sites, or gather near them, while he said hospitals and emergency teams were on standby. The Internal Security Command in Aleppo Governorate mobilized its cadres and cut the Aleppo–Damascus road and the roads leading to the explosion site to the south of the governorate, according to SANA.
Infobae reported that the explosions at the Al-Eis military depot prompted the evacuation of villagers, road closures, and an operation to remove unexploded projectiles. Prensa Latina said SANA, citing the Ministry of Emergency Situations and Disaster Management, reported that a civilian was wounded by shrapnel from the explosion, while three families living near the warehouse were evacuated.