Powerful explosions tore through a Syrian army weapons depot in al-Eis, south of Aleppo, on Monday, injuring at least four people and sending shockwaves for miles as emergency responders rushed to the scene.
The initial blast was followed by a series of subsequent explosions, according to reports. State-run SANA news agency confirmed the location of the incident at the military site. Faisal Mohammad Ali, head of civil defence operations in Aleppo, verified that rescue teams successfully evacuated four injured individuals from the grounds.
Al-Eis Depot Rocked by Chain Reaction of Blasts
Reporting from Aleppo, Al Jazeera’s Obaida Hitto described the scale of the disturbance. The explosions are audible from a few kilometres away from the site. We have now seen a series of ambulances and fire trucks enter towards the position,
he stated.
Civilians felt the impact far beyond the immediate perimeter. A resident of Aleppo’s Hamdaniyeh neighbourhood recounted hearing a “huge explosion” and subsequently spotting large flames in the distance
from a rooftop vantage point.
Aleppo Officials Order Full Emergency Alert and Road Closures
Authorities moved quickly to lock down the surrounding district. Aleppo Governor Azzam al-Gharib urged residents to remain indoors, stressing that hospitals, ambulance and emergency teams are on full alert.
Aleppo’s Internal Security Command enacted strict perimeter controls, closing roads leading to the site to ensure the safety of civilians.
Officials issued broader warnings telling the public to avoid the area entirely.
A Deadly String of Military Explosions Across Syria
Monday’s blasts fit into a grim and widening pattern of destruction across the country. On Friday, an explosion at a military site in Deir Az Zor killed 11 people. Earlier in the month, a weapons depot blast in Idlib province left 14 dead and 11 injured, coming just over a week after a munitions truck explosion in the same area killed five.
These repeated catastrophes highlight deep-seated vulnerabilities in military infrastructure. The current instability persists even as Syria emerges from more than a decade of civil war following the toppling of longtime ruler Bashar al-Assad in late 2024.
Authorities Mum on Cause Amid Lingering Regional Fragility
As authorities monitor the unfolding situation, the precise trigger for the al-Eis explosions remains unclear. Officials have released no immediate statement indicating whether the blasts were intentional or accidental, nor have they confirmed any direct link to previous munitions disasters in the northwest.
Investigations continue alongside ongoing damage assessments. Local forces maintain high alert levels and road closures as the region confronts another test of its fragile security.