Syria reports massive blasts near weapons, fuel depots

by WorldTribune Staff, May 18, 2018

An Iranian missile defense system was reportedly targeted as explosions were reported at fuel and weapons depots in Syria’s Hama province on May 18.

Video footage from the scene, posted to social media, showed a huge cloud of smoke rising out of the military airfield in Hama. / Facebook

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the series of explosions near Hama’s military airport killed at least 11 soldiers, including Assad regime forces and foreign nationals.

The Syrian state media reported massive explosions near Hama. Photos and video posted on social media showed a huge plume of gray smoke rising into the blue sky, Arutz Sheva reported.

“The explosions struck several depots of weapons and fuel at Hama military airport,” said the Observatory’s head, Rami Abdel Rahman, according to the Al Arabiya news site.

According to Sky News, the target of the strike was an Iranian Bavar 373 long-range missile defense system, a state-of-the-art model that was unveiled in 2016 and put into service in March 2017. Iranian officials compare the system to the Russian-made S-300 system.

Syrian military sources told the Lebanese el-Nashra TV station that the blasts were caused by a “technical malfunction” at a weapons storage depot.

On April 29, Israeli Air Force F-15 planes reportedly launched missile strikes on Syrian regime bases in the Hama and Aleppo countryside. According to the reports, about 25 people were killed, most of them Iranians, and 35 others were injured. About 200 missiles were reportedly destroyed.


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