Massive explosion rocks Syria’s Latakia: Casualties reported

Shafaq News/ A massive explosion shook Al-Raml al-Janoubi neighborhood in the Syrian coastal city of Latakia, causing casualties and trapping people under the rubble, Syrian media outlets reported on Saturday.

Syrian Civil Defense reported that the blast occurred in a four-story residential building, killing three people and injuring twelve. Emergency teams and locals are still searching for injured and missing individuals.

Syrian Ministry of Health confirmed the casualty figures and warned that the numbers could rise as search efforts continue.

The cause of the explosion has yet to be determined.

Notably, the city witnessed an unprecedented surge in violence on March 6 when clashes erupted between security forces and al-Assad regime remnants, which was described as the most intense since al-Assad’s fall in December.

At least 1,383 civilians, mostly Alawites, have been killed, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR).