At least five killed as ammunition-laden vehicle explodes in Syria’s Idlib

A vehicle loaded with ammunition has exploded in the town of Binnish in the Idlib countryside in northwestern Syria, according to Syrian authorities and a security source quoted by Syria’s official news agency, SANA.

At least five people were killed and five others wounded in the explosion on Tuesday, according to Syrian broadcaster Al-Ikhbariya. Authorities have not released reports regarding the cause of the blast.

Earlier, the Idlib Emergency and Disaster Management Directorate had reported that two people had been killed, and at least eight others wounded. Two vehicles in the vicinity were also destroyed.

Emergency response teams were dispatched to the scene, and the wounded were transported to nearby hospitals.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said the explosion had caused panic among residents.

The rights group reported that ammunition had continued exploding after the initial incident, creating the risk of further blasts as well as flying ammunition and shrapnel.

The AFP news agency, referring to an unnamed government official, reported that the vehicle belonged to a local arms dealer in the town of Binnish.

The Idlib region was a hub for rebel armed groups before the overthrow of longtime former ruler Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, and explosions are not uncommon at military sites and arms depots, with authorities often not announcing the cause.

An explosion in November at a warehouse containing missiles and ammunition in the town of Kafr Takharim killed five people and wounded nine others, according to the military.

Three months earlier, an explosion at a war remnants depot on the outskirts of Idlib city killed four people, authorities said.