A Homs, Syria, explosion seen in an online video showing a tremendous blast lasting several seconds over the skyline is being attributed by a London-based Syrian group to rebel
rocket strikes on a weapons depot, The Washington Post reported.
The unverified video was
uploaded by Syrian activists, the BBC reported. The UK Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said 40 people were killed in the explosion.
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The Post said it was difficult to tell the exact size or extent of the explosion from watching the recording, but pointed out that it seemed to “dwarf” a seven-story apartment building that is in the foreground of the video.
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad told the country’s army that he is confident of victory over the rebels, BBC said, reporting that Assad’s troops recaptured a “key district” in Homs Monday. The news organization said Homs has been a central point in the uprising against Assad, and reported that the UN estimates more than 100,000 people have died.
The Washington Post said Syrian social media posts discussed the explosion, and that it wasn’t clear whether the Syrian Observatory report about what caused the explosion is from social media conversation or has been otherwise verified.
The BCC reported this week that Syria agreed to let United Nation inspectors visit three sites where they say chemical weapons were used. The UN wanted access in Syria to investigate whether chemical weapons were used, but the government had tried to limit the inspection to one location.
The BBC said that 27 people were killed this year in alleged chemical weapons attacks in Khan al-Assal. That town is one of the sites UN investigators will visit.
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