A powerful explosion tore through the Idlib countryside Thursday morning, claiming the lives of at least five civilians and leaving more than 100 others wounded. The blast occurred near the town of Maarrat Misrin in northern Idlib, sending massive fireballs and thick columns of smoke into the sky.

According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, the explosion ripped through an ammunition depot, leading to a series of violent secondary blasts. The incident took place amid the presence of unidentified aircraft flying overhead, with the observatory noting that the death toll is expected to rise as rescue operations continue.

فيديو يظهر تصاعد أعمدة الدخان عقب انفجار عنيف في محيط مدينة #إدلب السورية.#الميادين pic.twitter.com/1dU5phYe2m

— قناة الميادين (@AlMayadeenNews) July 24, 2025

Idlib’s Health Directorate confirmed that more than 100 people, including women and children, sustained injuries in the explosion. Maarrat Misrin Hospital alone received 71 wounded, placing immense pressure on local medical facilities already strained by years of conflict.

Syrian civil defense responds amid risk of secondary blasts

Raed al-Saleh, Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management in the interim government, said that Syrian Civil Defense teams were immediately dispatched to the scene. In a statement on X, he reported that evacuation efforts began swiftly, despite the ongoing threat of further explosions.

Al-Saleh emphasized that a final casualty count has not yet been determined, as emergency crews continue their work under hazardous conditions. He urged residents to avoid the area for their own safety, highlighting the difficult and dangerous environment in which rescue teams are operating.

نتابع الانفجار المجهول الذي وقع اليوم الخميس 24 تموز في بلدة معرة مصرين بريف إدلب الشمالي، حيث هرعت فرق الدفاع المدني السوري إلى الموقع فور وقوع الحادث، وتقوم بواجبها في إخلاء الضحايا ونقل المصابين، رغم استمرار الانفجارات المتكررة في المنطقة والتي تعيق عمليات الاستجابة، ولم تُسجل…

— Raed Al Saleh ( رائد الصالح ) (@RaedAlSaleh3) July 24, 2025

Eyewitnesses and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights noted the presence of unidentified aircraft circling above the site during the explosion. However, Syria’s state-run broadcaster Al-Ikhbariya reported that the exact cause of the blast remains unknown.