Jordan: Fire Breaks Out at Military Munitions Depot

A huge blast at a military munitions depot in the city of Zarqa, 25 kilometres (15 miles) east of Amman, sparked a large fire, but there were no reports of casualties. AFP
A huge blast at a military munitions depot in the city of Zarqa, 25 kilometres (15 miles) east of Amman, sparked a large fire, but there were no reports of casualties. AFP
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Jordan: Fire Breaks Out at Military Munitions Depot

A huge blast at a military munitions depot in the city of Zarqa, 25 kilometres (15 miles) east of Amman, sparked a large fire, but there were no reports of casualties. AFP
A huge blast at a military munitions depot in the city of Zarqa, 25 kilometres (15 miles) east of Amman, sparked a large fire, but there were no reports of casualties. AFP

A huge explosion rocked a Jordanian military arms depot early Friday sparking a large fire at the base located in an uninhabited area.

The blast was accidental and likely caused by a chemical reaction inside a shell amid a blistering heatwave in the desert country, according to the millitary.

"An explosion occurred in the early hours of Friday ... in a warehouse containing unusable mortar bombs belonging to the armed forces," government spokesman Amjad al-Adaileh said in a statement.

The army said there were no casualties. The blast happened in the city of Zarqa, 25 kilometres (15 miles) east of the capital Amman, where several Jordanian bases and depots are located.

Images which swiftly spread on social media showed a huge ball of flames rising into the night sky, followed by several more explosions, AFP reported.

The army, which closed off the area, acknowledged that there had been an explosion "in one of the ammunition depots which is being dismantled near the city of Zarqa".

Preliminary findings indicated that "the explosion was due to high temperatures provoking a chemical reaction in a shell", the military said in a statement.

Jordan has over the past week seen temperatures soar above 48 degrees Celsius (118 degrees Fahrenheit) in some regions.

The area around the explosion has been "completely combed to ensure that there is no further danger, and the situation is under control," General Imad al-Khamaysseh told state television.

Zarqa governorate, which has a population of about 1.5 million, has witnessed several explosions in past years, mainly caused by old munitions and fires in warehouses. It is also home to many factories and a free trade zone.

The explosion came only days after Jordan revealed plans to reinstate military service for unemployed men between the ages of 25 and 29.



Israel Carries Out Intense Airstrikes in Southern Lebanon, 1 Dead

Smoke rises after Israeli airstrikes near Nabatiyeh in southern Lebanon on June 27, 2025. (Photo by Rabih DAHER / AFP)
Smoke rises after Israeli airstrikes near Nabatiyeh in southern Lebanon on June 27, 2025. (Photo by Rabih DAHER / AFP)
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Israel Carries Out Intense Airstrikes in Southern Lebanon, 1 Dead

Smoke rises after Israeli airstrikes near Nabatiyeh in southern Lebanon on June 27, 2025. (Photo by Rabih DAHER / AFP)
Smoke rises after Israeli airstrikes near Nabatiyeh in southern Lebanon on June 27, 2025. (Photo by Rabih DAHER / AFP)

Israel’s air force carried out intense airstrikes on mountains overlooking a southern Lebanon city on Friday in an attack that the Israeli military said targeted Hezbollah underground assets.

The airstrikes came in two waves on the mountains overlooking Nabatiyeh and bunker buster bombs were used, Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency reported. There was no immediate information about casualties.

Since the 14-month Israel-Hezbollah war ended with a US-brokered ceasefire in November, Israel has carried out almost daily airstrikes on southern Lebanon. Friday’s strikes were more intense than usual.

The Israeli military said in a statement that its fighter jets struck a site used by Hezbollah to manage its fire and defense array in the area and is part of a significant underground project that was completely taken out of use.

The Israeli army said it identified rehabilitation attempts by Hezbollah beforehand and struck infrastructure sites in the area.

There was no comment from Hezbollah.

An Israeli drone also targeted on Friday an apartment in a two-story building in Nabatiyeh.

Lebanon's health ministry said a woman was killed and 11 other people were wounded in the strike.

"The Israeli enemy strike on an apartment in Nabatiyeh led to a preliminary toll of one woman killed and 11 people wounded," the ministry said in a statement carried by the official National News Agency.