White Helmets recovered 16 bodies, including 5 women, 5 children, after explosion in Latakia building; 18 injured
\n Damascus
\nMore than a dozen people have been killed in the Syrian coastal city of Latakia following an explosion caused by ordnance from the country\u2019s ongoing 13-year conflict, the Syrian Civil Defense reported on Sunday.
\nThe blast, which occurred in a metal scrap storage area on the ground floor of a four-story building, resulted in the collapse of the structure.
\nThe White Helmets, a paramedic group, worked overnight to search through the debris. They recovered 16 bodies, including five women and five children, and reported that 18 others were injured. Local residents and the group confirmed the location of the explosion and have warned of further dangers posed by unexploded ordnance.
\nElsewhere in Syria, tensions have escalated as the Syrian Defense Ministry accused the Lebanese Hezbollah militant group of crossing the border and killing three Syrian soldiers. Hezbollah denied any involvement, while local Lebanese media reported Syrian shelling on the northeastern border town of Al-Qasr.
\nThe Syrian Defense Ministry vowed to take necessary measures following what it called a \u201cdangerous escalation\u201d by Hezbollah, which followed recent clashes between Syrian forces and Lebanese clans.
\nThe United Nations highlighted the ongoing threat posed by unexploded ordnance in Syria. In February, it was reported that about 100 people have died from such devices over the past 13 years.
\nSince the ousting of Bashar al-Assad, over 1,400 unexploded devices have been safely disposed of, with authorities identifying 138 minefields and contaminated areas in key provinces, including Latakia.
\nLatakia, a vital port city in Syria\u2019s coastal region, has seen a recent surge in violence. Following an ambush on a security patrol by gunmen loyal to Assad, retaliatory attacks and government counter-offensives have left widespread destruction in their wake. These clashes and acts of revenge have contributed to the deaths of over 1,000 people.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
White Helmets recovered 16 bodies, including 5 women, 5 children, after explosion in Latakia building; 18 injured Damascus More than a dozen people have been killed in the Syrian coastal city of Latakia following an explosion caused by ordnance from the country\u2019s ongoing 13-year conflict, the Syrian Civil Defense reported on Sunday. The blast, which […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":467656,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-467646","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n