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Syrian state media reported that the initial explosion took place at a military site in the vicinity of al-Eis, roughly 35 kilometres from the centre of Aleppo, triggering successive blasts that sent projectiles into the air and produced thick smoke visible for kilometres. The Syrian Arab News Agency cited the Ministry of Emergency and Disaster Management as it detailed the preliminary toll and ongoing response efforts. Investigations into the cause of the detonations were underway with no immediate indication of foul play or external involvement, SANA added.
Faisal Mohammad Ali, who heads civil defence operations in Aleppo, told state television that the continuing explosions initially hampered access for emergency crews before teams could reach the location and begin evacuations. Aleppo Governor Azzam al-Gharib called on residents to remain in their homes and steer clear of the area while placing hospitals and ambulance services on full alert. The Internal Security Command in Aleppo province shut down roads leading to the site, including sections of the Damascus-Aleppo highway, to protect civilians.
The ministry’s breakdown listed one civilian wounded by shrapnel from the blasts while two others suffered temporary breathing difficulties caused by the smoke and debris. A fourth civilian sustained injuries in a traffic accident while attempting to flee the vicinity, according to the same official tally. Civil defence units transported all four injured individuals for treatment and evacuated three families from homes near the depot, remaining on high alert as detonations persisted.
The incident follows a pattern of similar explosions at munitions sites across Syria in recent weeks as the country recovers from more than a decade of civil conflict that ended with the ouster of former President Bashar al-Assad in December 2025. A Reuters dispatch from September 9 described an explosion at a temporary weapons storage site in Idlib province that killed at least 14 people and wounded 11, with the Defence Ministry stating the material had been awaiting transport. Civil defence and firefighting teams faced repeated secondary blasts in that event as well, Reuters reported.
State media separately placed the death toll at 11 soldiers from an explosion at a military site in Deir ez-Zor province on September 19, an incident that also prompted an official investigation into its causes. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and other monitors have tracked multiple such events involving remnants of war since the conflict concluded. Authorities have repeatedly urged caution around former military installations known to contain unexploded ordnance or stored ammunition.
A resident of Aleppo’s Hamdaniyeh neighbourhood told AFP that the initial blast was powerful enough to be heard across the city, after which flames became visible from rooftops several kilometres away. Video circulating on social media showed streaks of light consistent with exploding munitions arcing across the night sky. No updates on further casualties or damage assessments had been released as of Monday afternoon.
