At least 14 killed in explosion at weapons depot in Syria

At least 14 people were killed and 11 wounded on Wednesday in an explosion at a temporary site used to store weapons and remnants of war near the Syrian city of Sarmada in Idlib province, state television reported.

The Defence Ministry said the weapons and war remnants were being stored at the site before being transported elsewhere, and that some of its personnel were among those wounded.

Civil Defence and firefighting teams were deployed to the scene, but successive explosions hampered efforts to extinguish the blaze as thick smoke billowed from the site for hours.

Authorities have not said what caused the initial explosion.

A vehicle carrying ammunition exploded in Binnish, also in Idlib province, on September 1, killing five people and wounding others, according to Syrian state media.