July 2007 Syrian arms depot explosion
The July 2007 Syrian arms depot explosion was a blast in July 2007 at a highly secretive
chemical weapons
experiment.
Official version
The explosion happened in
Musalmiya, a city in northern Syria near Aleppo, on 26 July 2007. Officials said that high summer temperatures of up to 50 °C set off explosive materials at a military missile base, causing the ammunition dump to explode. Fifteen Syrian nuclear personnel were reportedly killed, (as well as reports of 10 Iranian engineers),[1] and 50 were wounded. Syria said the blast was "not the result of sabotage."[2]
Skepticism
Scud D missile that Iran and North Korea had delivered to Syria.
Instead of high temperatures, the explosion was caused when fuel caught fire in a laboratory as Syrian and
Scud-D missile.[3] Fifteen Syrian nuclear technicians and "dozens" of Iranian engineers died in the explosion, according to Jane's report. The blast also sent a chemical cloud of mustard gas as well as Sarin and VX nerve gas across the facility.[4] At least three North Korean missile engineers were killed in the blast as well.[5][6]
Syria is believed to have an active chemical weapons program[7] as well as several hundred Scud missiles.[8]
The reports coincided with speculation about
the Israeli air strike on Syria
earlier in September 2007, which was reported to have targeted a nuclear facility.
References
- Foreign Policy Magazine, BY RONEN BERGMAN, 19 September 2013
- ^ "Middle East | Deadly blast at Syrian arms depot". BBC News. 26 July 2007. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 12 August 2013. Retrieved 27 August 2013.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "The Times & the Sunday Times".
- ^ "North Korea and Syrian chemical and missile programs - North Korea News". NK News - North Korea News. 19 June 2013. Retrieved 27 February 2018.
- ^ Schwirtz, Michael (18 January 2018). "U.N. Links North Korea to Syria's Chemical Weapon Program". The New York Times. Retrieved 27 February 2018.
- ^ John Pike. "Chemical Weapons - Syria". Globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 5 September 2013.
- ^ John Pike. "Missile Programs - Syria". Globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 5 September 2013.