30 regime fighters killed in blast at Shayrat airbase in Syria

At least 30 regime fighters have been killed in a blast at Shayrat airbase in central Syria on Saturday, according to media reports. Earlier today, the death toll was reported to be around 12.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group, which is based in Britain and relies on a network of sources on the ground, reportedly said it was still unclear what had caused the deadly explosion at the Shayrat airbase in Homs province.

On the other hand, state news agency SANA was reported to declare that a "technical fault during the transport of expired ammunition" had killed an unspecified number of victims.

The Shayrat airbase is one of the regime's most significant installations in the center of the country. In 2017, US airstrikes hit the base in response to a suspected sarin gas attack on the rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhun in northwest Syria that killed more than 80 people.

According to the Pentagon, US intelligence had established that the base was the launchpad for the alleged chemical attack.