A powerful explosion shook Syria’s western Idlib province on Wednesday, injuring several people and triggering a rapid response from rescue teams, according to local media and monitoring groups.

The blast occurred in the town of Kfar Tkharim, located in the western countryside of Idlib, an area controlled by opposition factions. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) reported that the explosion originated from an arms depot situated near a school, raising immediate concerns for civilian safety. Ambulances were dispatched to the scene to evacuate the wounded, though the exact number of casualties has yet to be confirmed.

Security forces reportedly deployed throughout the town following the incident as investigators worked to determine the cause of the blast and identify those responsible.

Local sources cited by SOHR indicated that the explosion was triggered inside “an ammunition depot belonging to one of the factions,” noting that the facility had been operating in a densely populated area.

SOHR criticized the placement of weapons facilities near civilian zones, stressing that storing arms in crowded neighborhoods poses a serious threat to the safety of residents. The monitor urged armed groups to relocate depots away from populated areas to prevent similar incidents.

The Idlib region, home to more than three million people, remains Syria’s most volatile enclave, where sporadic clashes, airstrikes, and internal explosions continue to endanger civilians despite ongoing ceasefire arrangements. (ILKHA)