Powerful Blast Hits Hizbullah Arms Depot in Southern Town of Ain Qana

W460

A strong explosion shook a Hizbullah stronghold in southern Lebanon on Tuesday, but the cause was not immediately clear.

As TV networks said the blast ripped through a "house belonging to Hizbullah," pro-Hizbullah journalist Salem Zahran said it occurred at a depot for storing "shells from the war era," adding that it caused no casualties.

The blast, near a gas station, occurred in the outskirts of the southern village of Ain Qana, above the port city of Sidon, sending grey smoke billowing over the village.

The Lebanese Army said an army force arrived at the explosion site immediately after the incident and has since launched an investigation.

A Hizbullah official said there were no casualties from the explosion and that no Hizbullah members were targeted. Another local Hizbullah official in Ain Qana, Ali Nazar, said the explosion destroyed a house where old mines and shells leftover from "past Israeli aggression" were being collected by a de-mining agency for disposal.

A source close to Hizbullah had earlier told Agence France Presse that the blast resulted from an "accident."

A military source said preliminary information showed the blast happened at a "Hizbullah center containing munitions."

Members of the group imposed a security cordon, barring journalists from reaching the area.

The National News Agency said the blast had coincided with intensive fly-overs by Israeli fighter jets and drones.

Israel violates Lebanese airspace on an almost daily basis, and its aircraft have flown particularly low over many areas in the past few days. The commander of the U.N. peacekeeping force in southern Lebanon, Maj. Gen. Stefano Del Col, told NNA Monday that the force has in recent days recorded a large number of air violations by the Israeli military.

He said the continuous overhead flights constitute a violation of U.N. Security Council Resolution 1701 and Lebanese sovereignty.

Footage broadcast by al-Jadeed station showed damage to buildings and debris scattered across a large area. The shaky footage also showed what appeared to be a minibus on fire. Other footage showed a wrecked SUV parked outside a damaged house.

There was no immediate comment from the Lebanese government. Hizbullah's al-Manar TV channel returned to normal programming after reporting the explosion.

The Israeli military declined to comment on the blast.

The mysterious blast added to collective anxiety in a country still reeling from last month's massive explosion in Beirut and struggling with an unprecedented economic crisis.

"Thank God that there were no human losses, but there was a lot of panic, everyone was frightened," said a villager who identified himself by his last name, Honeina.

The explosion comes seven weeks after the massive explosion at Beirut port, the result of nearly 3,000 tons of improperly stored ammonium nitrate detonating. The explosion killed nearly 200 people, injured 6,500 and damaged tens of thousands of buildings in the capital, Beirut.

It is still not clear what caused the initial fire that ignited the chemicals, and so far no one has been held accountable.

Comments 13
Missing un520 22 September 2020, 16:32

Hezbollah really has a hard time keeping their arms storage safe this year..

Missing mcessen1 22 September 2020, 16:44

Another welding accident? Same welders?? Hmmm.

Thumb ansarullah 22 September 2020, 17:08

God bless hezbollah for storing arms, explosives and weapons inside our homes to protect us from the Israel-American-Saudi schemes that are attempting to deprive us from our natural rights to liberate Palestine and retain the Finance ministry.

Shia Shia Shia !!!

Missing mcessen1 22 September 2020, 18:11

Spell properly. "t" instead of "a".

Default-user-icon pst (Guest) 23 September 2020, 03:50

It's a good one :)

Default-user-icon Ban Levi (Guest) 22 September 2020, 18:41

Hahaha... You are really funny dude, i want a little from the stuff you are taking

Default-user-icon Harry (Guest) 23 September 2020, 04:25

.....and retain the Finance ministry.... Do you realize how ridiculous your post is ? And btw do you realize the horror that hezbollah has brought to what was once the pearl of the Middle East ?

Thumb janoubi 22 September 2020, 17:11

Hizbullah source to An-Nahar: What exploded in Ain Qana was a center for collecting landmines from the remnants of the July War.

yeah for sure! recovered landmines are either dismantled or destroyed and not stored inside houses.

Missing samiam 22 September 2020, 17:47

They don't get that fewer and fewer people believe what they say--if what they claim is true, then why did KIZB and not the army or Unifil corden off the area?

What lying POS. T

Missing thecause 22 September 2020, 18:45

Hassan nasrallah you coward! What are you doing hiding arms in/ between civilian homes.

Thumb justin 22 September 2020, 18:54

كشف منذ شهر ونصف عن مستودع عين قانا: تصنيع عبوات وأطنان متفجرات
https://www.lebanese-forces.com/2020/09/22/hezbollah-ain-kana/

أعاد ناشطون نشر تغريدة للصحافي الكس بنجامين يتحدث فيه عن مستودع لحزب الله في المنطقة، اذ نشر صورة في
السابع من آب قال انها تعود لمخزن تابع للحزب، وكتب “هذه الصورة في بلدة عين قانا جنوب لبنان. في المكان المشار اليه يستعمل عناصر حزب الله عدد من المنازل لما يسمى وحدة الهندسة حيث يتم في هذا المكان تصنيع عبوات (رعد، سجيل، عاصف). في هذا المكان قرب منازل الآمنين يوجد مخزن فيه اطنان من ( C4, RDX, TNT)”.

Default-user-icon cocoman (Guest) 23 September 2020, 07:28

Always good when Kizb gets bombed and they never retaliate because they are weak and afraid

Default-user-icon cocoman (Guest) 23 September 2020, 11:23

good news finally