Explosion at SDF warehouse triggers casualties among Syrian army units

A deadly explosion struck a warehouse operated by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) near the Al-Yarubiyah border crossing on the Syrian-Iraqi frontier, resulting in casualties among Syrian government troops.

As the Iraqi television channel As-Sumaria reports, the blast occurred as units of the Syrian government army were entering the area, leaving both killed and wounded among their ranks. The precise number of casualties has not yet been confirmed, though eyewitnesses described “multiple casualties” at the scene.

Preliminary information suggests that SDF elements had planted explosives inside their weapons depot prior to withdrawing from the area and deliberately detonated the device. On January 20, SDF forces evacuated their positions at the Al-Yarubiyah crossing, a strategic transit point linking Iraq’s Nineveh province with Syria’s Hasakah region.

In a related development, Al Hadath TV earlier reported that Iraqi forces stationed along the Syrian border had been placed on heightened alert amid the deteriorating security situation. Iraqi authorities are reportedly particularly concerned about the safety of detention facilities near the border that house supporters and former militants of the Islamic State group.

By Vafa Guliyeva