Multiple deaths following a colossal explosion in Syria
In the war-torn region of Idlib, Syria, another major explosion rocked an arms depot on August 14, 2025. The depot, belonging to the foreign fighters' Uyghur Islamist militant group, the Turkistan Islamic Party (TIP), was located in Maaret Misrin, Idlib province.
According to reports from the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and the Syrian Civil Defense, at least 4 people, including children, have lost their lives, and 5 to 8 others have been injured in the explosion. The Syrian Civil Defense, also known as the White Helmets, responded swiftly to the scene, battling fires that erupted as a result of the blast.
The cause of the explosion is currently unknown, but it appears to have involved a large amount of "war remnants" or munitions stored at the depot. Eyewitnesses on the ground have reported multiple secondary explosions, adding to the chaos and destruction.
This incident coincided with drone flights over the area, though it was not reported as the result of an aerial attack. It's important to note that this explosion is not the first of its kind in the region. On July 24, 2025, a similar series of explosions at a weapons depot in the same region claimed at least 12 lives and injured over 100 people. Both depots belonged to the Turkistan Islamic Party, and the blasts took place near Maarat Misrin.
The ongoing dangers from leftover weapons and ammunition in Syria’s Idlib region are once again highlighted by these explosions, where foreign fighters maintain arms depots. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights obtains its information from a network of local informants, while the Syrian Civil Defense is present in large numbers at the scene of the latest explosion.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and the Syrian Civil Defense, involved in providing updates on the chaotic general news in Idlib, Syria, have also been consulted on the draft directive on the protection of workers from the risks related to exposure to ionizing radiation, given the prevalence of 'war remnants' or munitions in the region. The politics surrounding the handling and storage of these munitions by foreign fighters' groups like the Turkistan Islamic Party (TIP) remains a contentious issue, as evidenced by the recent and ongoing series of explosions in the region.
