Five killed in huge ammunition dump blast in Syrian town of Kafr Takharim

A huge explosion rocked the town of Kafr Takharim in Idlib province in northwestern Syria on Wednesday, killing five people and injuring nine others, The New Arab's affiliate Syria TV reported.

Activists shared videos on the X showing a massive smoke cloud rising from Kafr Takharim with initial reports of tens injuries.

Syria TV said the explosion that was due to an ammunition depot exploding, after initial reports speculated that it could have been the result of an airstrike by the US-led international coalition against the Islamic State group.

Many olive trees in the surrounding area were also destroyed, according to Syria TV, and the casualties included workers working in olive tree fields.

Arms and ammunition depot explosions are common in Syria, which has been the scene of brutal conflict for 14 years and where weapons are often not properly secured, while bombs have also detonated as they are stripped down for scrap metal.

Last July, an arms depot belonging to the Turkistan Islamic Party - an armed group made up of Uyghurs who fled to Syria from China - exploded in the town of Maaret Misrin killing 12 people and injuring over 100.

There was widespread outrage in Syria after this incident. Syrian emergency response minister Raed al-Saleh at the time stressed "the need to unite the efforts of ministries, institutions and local bodies to limit the risks of unexploded ordnance and war remnants".