Syria explosion: 26 soldiers killed in blast at air base, military official says

Cause of 'severe' explosion unclear at military base in Homs province

The explosion at the Shayrat air base was reported by Syria's official news agency on Saturday (AFP/Getty Images)

Twenty-six soldiers have been killed in an explosion blamed on a technical error in central Syria, according to a Syrian pro-government newspaper.

Al-Watan quoted a military official as describing Saturday's explosion at the Shayrat air base in the Homs province as severe.

The official news agency Sana reported an explosion on Saturday at the base, saying it killed an undetermined number of soldiers.

It said the blast was caused by a technical error while transporting ammunition.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, an opposition-linked group that monitors the war, put the death toll at 31.

The group said the cause of the explosion was unclear.

The US targeted the air base in 2017 following a chemical weapons attack on opposition areas that Washington blamed on Damascus.

Associated Press