Huge explosion hits central Syrian city of Homs

Activists say some forty people killed, 160 wounded in blast that occurs in area under army's control.

By REUTERS
Smoke rises over Syria's Homs 370 (R) (photo credit: REUTERS / Handout)
Smoke rises over Syria's Homs 370 (R)
(photo credit: REUTERS / Handout)
The Jerusalem Post cannot verify the veracity of this video.
BEIRUT - Forty people were killed and at least 120 people were wounded in an explosion at a weapons cache in the central Syrian city of Homs on Thursday, a group opposed to President Bashar Assad said.
The explosion occurred in the south-eastern district of Wadi al-Dhahab, which the army has taken over, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. The group has a network of sources in the opposition and state security forces.
The Observatory said the casualties were soldiers and civilians and that some of the wounded were in a critical condition.
Activists said the explosion, which appeared to be significantly larger than most bombs used daily by either side in the two-year-old Syrian conflict, ripped through the southeastern neighborhood of al-Nozha.
The neighborhood is majority Alawite, the same sect as President Bashar Assad. Sunni Muslim insurgents have targeted Alawite areas, especially military positions, around the country with bombs and mortars.