Syria says blast at military site in Deir Az Zor killed 11

Syrian army holds funeral for soldiers killed in ammunition blast in town of Ayyash, in western Deir Az Zor, on Friday.Eleven soldiers have been killed in an explosion at an army site in Syria’s eastern province of Deir Az Zor, according to the Ministry of Defence.Syria’s military held a funeral procession for the soldiers on Saturday, a day after they were killed in the blast, the ministry said.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Syria warns Israel poses ‘the greatest threat’ to Middle East stabilitylist 2 of 3Syria arrests five former al-Assad-era officers over strikes on civilianslist 3 of 3‘Daughter of Damascus’ Assala performs in Syria after 15-year exileend of listThe explosion struck a weapons cache within a Syrian Arab Army position in the town of Ayyash, in western Deir Az Zor, the official SANA news agency reported, citing the defence ministry.Nine other soldiers were wounded, according to a statement from the provincial government.The cause of the blast has not been determined, and an investigation is under way, the statement added.This was the second blast at a Syrian military site in less than two weeks.Videos of the funeral ceremony broadcast on state broadcaster Al Ikhbiriya showed mourners gathered outside the National Hospital in Deir Az Zor city on Saturday, where the bodies, wrapped in Syrian flags, were carried in the funeral procession.Al Ikhbiriya said the soldiers were killed while transporting heavy ammunition at the site.The blast follows a September 9 explosion at a temporary weapons and war-remnants depot in Sarmada, in the northwestern province of Idlib, which the Syrian Defence Ministry said killed 14 soldiers and wounded more than 10 people, including some civilians.The ministry said at the time it took responsibility for that incident and that the depot had been used to collect weapons and munitions left over from Syria’s civil war in advance of their transfer under standard procedures.