SARMADA, Syria (AP) — An explosion at a weapons warehouse in northwestern Syria killed at least 14 people and injured 11 others, state media reported Wednesday, citing the Health Ministry.
The cause of the blast near the town of Sarmada, in Idlib province, was not immediately clear. Such incidents are a relatively common occurrence in the country, which has been battered by over a decade of war.
Click to Gallery
A pickup truck fitted with an anti-aircraft gun is parked across a road as smoke rises after an explosion at what state media said was a weapons depot in the Burj al-Nimra area near Sarmada, in Idlib province, Syria, Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2026.(AP Photo/Omar Albam)
Syrian security forces and others gather as smoke rises after an explosion at what state media said was a weapons depot in the Burj al-Nimra area near Sarmada, in Idlib province, Syria, Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2026.(AP Photo/Omar Albam)
Firefighters work among rubble and burned-out vehicles at the site of an explosion at what Syria's Defense Ministry said was a warehouse used for the temporary storage of weapons near Sarmada, in Idlib province, Syria, Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)
Civil defense workers and a firefighter remove a body from the site of an explosion at what Syria's Defense Ministry said was a warehouse used for the temporary storage of weapons near Sarmada, in Idlib province, Syria, Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)
The warehouse was used to store weapons and munitions left over from the country's uprising and civil war from 2011 until 2024, the state-run SANA news agency said, citing the Defense Ministry, without providing further details.
Civil Defense and Syrian Red Crescent first-responders are continuing to search for survivors trapped under the rubble. A photographer for The Associated Press at the scene saw bodies being recovered.
Video footage widely circulated after the blast showed a large plume of black smoke, while the sounds of smaller explosions could be heard.
Ahmad Faour, a mechanic who works near the warehouse, said he and others first heard a small explosion and ran away before the large blast.
“A weapons warehouse should not be placed in a public area, in a village with people and shops,” he said, after looking through the damaged cars in his garage. “Those poor people who died were not guilty of anything.”
A pickup truck fitted with an anti-aircraft gun is parked across a road as smoke rises after an explosion at what state media said was a weapons depot in the Burj al-Nimra area near Sarmada, in Idlib province, Syria, Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2026.(AP Photo/Omar Albam)
Syrian security forces and others gather as smoke rises after an explosion at what state media said was a weapons depot in the Burj al-Nimra area near Sarmada, in Idlib province, Syria, Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2026.(AP Photo/Omar Albam)
Firefighters work among rubble and burned-out vehicles at the site of an explosion at what Syria's Defense Ministry said was a warehouse used for the temporary storage of weapons near Sarmada, in Idlib province, Syria, Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)
Civil defense workers and a firefighter remove a body from the site of an explosion at what Syria's Defense Ministry said was a warehouse used for the temporary storage of weapons near Sarmada, in Idlib province, Syria, Wednesday, Sept. 9, 2026. (AP Photo/Omar Albam)
Social media influencers Andrew and Tristan Tate must remain in custody as they fight extradition to the United Kingdom, where the brothers are accused of rape and sex trafficking, a federal judge in Miami ruled Wednesday.
U.S. Magistrate Lauren Louis denied a defense motion for release, meaning the Tates will remain jailed during what could be a monthslong extradition process.
The Tates “have failed to meet their burden to demonstrate that they do not present a risk of flight or danger to the community, or that special circumstances warrant their release. Respondents have failed to demonstrate that special circumstances here warrant relief, whether their proposed special circumstances are considered singly or together,” Louis said in her ruling. “Having failed to meet these three factors, Respondents’ Motion for Release Pending Extradition Proceedings is DENIED.”
The Tates' legal team said in a statement that the decision to keep them in custody creates a legal contradiction. The brothers are being detained in the United States because of a British extradition request while simultaneously being required to defend themselves against charges in Romania, the statement said.
“They are now facing an extraordinary situation in which they are being held thousands of miles from Romania while Romanian proceedings continue, deadlines approach, an additional indictment is said to be imminent and their own Romanian lawyer says he cannot properly prepare,” the lawyers said.
“No serious person can pretend that this can be reviewed properly through occasional conversations from a federal detention center in another country.”
The Tates have become among the world’s most polarizing internet personalities with their promotion of wealth, male dominance and misogyny through their social media empire. Prosecutors say the brothers are a flight risk because they appear to have money and have bragged about multiple passports.
During a hearing last month in Miami, the brothers denied criminal accusations spanning several countries, blasted their critics and described their brash online personas as characters and not their true personalities. The Tates said they exaggerate their claims of wealth to boost their clout on social media.
The new allegations are the latest in the Tates’ long-running international legal saga spanning the U.S., Britain and Romania. They have been held at the Federal Detention Center in Miami since making a brief court appearance two days after their July 18 arrest.
Lawyers for the Tates asked the judge to allow them to be freed from custody at least until an extradition hearing can be held on their U.K. rape and trafficking charges.
They have repeatedly argued that Britain’s request is out of line because their criminal case in Romania is going first. Romanian officials have let the brothers remain free until the proceedings conclude, and they have not tried to flee and are complying with all court restrictions. Earlier this month, Romanian prosecutors indicted the brothers on additional charges.
Andrew Tate, 39, and Tristan Tate, 38, are dual U.S.-British citizens known for their social media empire promoting wealth, male dominance and misogyny.
Andrew Tate is a former professional kickboxer and self-described misogynist who has amassed more than 10 million followers, most of them boys and young men, on X. He has been banned from platforms like YouTube, TikTok and Instagram for violating hate speech guidelines.
He also runs an online academy where he says he teaches young men how to get rich and attract women. Tristan Tate is also a former kickboxer.
The brothers are avid supporters of U.S. President Donald Trump.
FILE - Andrew Tate, right, and his brother, Tristan, arrive at an event, April 11, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, Pool, File)
Supporters of Andrew and Tristan Tate stand outside of the C. Clyde Atkins U.S. Courthouse as they fight extradition to the United Kingdom on charges of rape and sex trafficking at a bond hearing, Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026, in Miami. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Supporters of Andrew and Tristan Tate do push-ups outside of the C. Clyde Atkins U.S. Courthouse as the Tate brothers fight extradition to the United Kingdom on charges of rape and sex trafficking in Miami, Thursday, Aug. 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
