Syria investigating possible Israeli involvement in weapons depot explosions - report

Syrian authorities are examining possible Israeli involvement in a series of unexplained explosions at military weapons depots, Kan News reported Monday, after powerful blasts rocked a Syrian army facility south of Aleppo. This is according to a Syrian source close to the government who told Haaretz that Israeli involvement was among the possibilities being investigated.

Damascus has not publicly accused Israel of the incidents.

The latest blasts struck a weapons depot near al-Eis in the southern Aleppo countryside overnight Sunday into Monday. Video footage shows the initial explosion triggering a chain of secondary blasts, sending missiles flying into the air.

The Syrian Defense Ministry's Media and Communications Department told Syrian state news agency SANA that investigators were examining explosions at several military sites. Protecting military personnel and civilians, establishing the facts, and determining responsibility were among the ministry's priorities.

Military police were deployed, while engineering units secured the blast site and surrounding areas.

Emergency teams evacuated residents from nearby homes and closed roads, including the Damascus-Aleppo highway. Authorities warned residents to stay away because of shrapnel and unexploded ordnance, urging them not to return to evacuated areas until they were declared safe.

The explosions come as Syria works to rebuild its armed forces and integrate independent militias and other armed factions under a unified command after years of war.

Israel previously struck the a-Dawhur air base in northwestern Syria in August. The Netanyahu government says the strike was aimed at preventing a Turkish military foothold and accused Syria of being "on the verge of breaching" a security status quo by allowing Turkish troops to deploy at an airbase near Aleppo.