Large explosions rock arms depot of Iraqi forces at military base near Baghdad
Large explosions have struck an arms depot belonging to the Iraqi Federal Police forces and Popular Mobilization Units (PMU), better known by the Arabic word Hashd al-Sha’abi, at a military compound southwest of the capital Baghdad.
The Security Media Cell said in a statement that the two consecutive blasts occurred at al-Saqr military base, which lies in the Saydiya neighborhood of Rashid district and close to the highway linking Baghdad to the city of Hilla, at 6:40 p.m. local time (1540 GMT) on Sunday, the official Iraqi News Agency reported.
The statement added that the ammunition warehouse exploded due to high temperatures and “faulty storage.” It made no mention of any casualties.
However, a security source, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the Arabic-language Baghdad Today news agency that three explosions had taken place at the military site.
Huge clouds of black smoke billowed over Baghdad after the blasts.
General Director of the Civil Defense Major General Kazem Salman Buhan also said 15 fire brigades have been dispatched to al-Saqr base to contain the blaze.
Later in the day, the Iraqi Interior Ministry announced in a brief statement that firefighters have largely brought the blaze under control.
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