ERBIL () - Syrian authorities said Saturday that six bodies had been recovered and nine people were wounded after an explosion tore through a weapons depot at a Syrian army position west of Deir ez-Zor, while specialized teams continued searching for people reported missing.
The explosion occurred Friday night at a military site in the Ayyash area, according to statements from the Deir ez-Zor governorate and the Syrian Defense Ministry's Directorate of Media and Communications.
The governorate said emergency measures were taken after the blast and an investigation had been opened to establish its cause and circumstances. Authorities have not yet announced what triggered the explosion.
Search teams remained at the site on Saturday as officials worked to determine whether others were still missing.
The Defense Ministry separately confirmed that the blast occurred at a Syrian army position near Ayyash and said both the investigation and an assessment of the damage were continuing.
An earlier account from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 18 Defense Ministry personnel had been killed or wounded in the ammunition depot explosion. The governorate's subsequent statement provided the more specific toll of six bodies recovered and nine people injured, while leaving open the possibility that the casualty count could change as searches continue.
The supplied reporting does not indicate whether the explosion resulted from an accident, an attack or another cause.
The Deir ez-Zor incident comes as Syrian authorities deal with separate security challenges in other parts of the country.
Agence France-Presse reported Saturday that security forces in the southern province of Daraa had arrested Walid al-Fallah, described by authorities as a leading member of a cell linked to the deaths of three security personnel in Al-Sanamein.
The officers were killed during an operation to arrest a man described by a local official as affiliated with the Islamic State group.
Interior Ministry spokesman Noureddine al-Baba said the operation resulted in the dismantling of criminal groups and cells linked to IS that had been coordinating with one another. Five wanted individuals were arrested during the operation, according to the ministry.
IS lost its territorial holdings in Syria in 2019 but continues to maintain sleeper cells and periodically carries out attacks, particularly in desert areas as well as parts of northern and northeastern Syria.
Syria's current authorities joined the US-led international coalition against IS last year after the government of Bashar al-Assad was overthrown in December 2024.
In another development reported by AFP on Friday, Syrian security forces said they had arrested five former air force officers accused of involvement in attacks on civilians during Assad's rule.
Authorities said the former officers were suspected of participating in the planning, management or execution of airstrikes on populated areas during Syria's civil war. Investigations were continuing before the suspects were referred to the judiciary.
The arrests form part of a broader effort by the new authorities to pursue former security officials accused of abuses committed during the conflict.
Earlier this month, Syrian authorities also announced the arrests of nine former pilots, including three generals, over alleged involvement in deadly bombing campaigns.
Those cases are separate from Friday night's explosion in Deir ez-Zor, where authorities have so far provided no indication of criminal responsibility.
The immediate focus in Ayyash remains on recovering the missing, treating the wounded and determining what caused the blast inside the military weapons depot.
Until the investigation is completed, Syrian officials have stopped short of assigning responsibility or offering a definitive explanation for the explosion.
