DAMASCUS, March 1 (Xinhua) -- Multiple powerful explosions shook the city of Banias and its surroundings in northwestern Syria on Friday, raising concerns about potential Israeli airstrikes, a war monitor group reported.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, three intense explosions rattled Banias and its outskirts. Witnesses also reported seeing flashes emanating from the Mediterranean Sea before the explosions, sparking speculation about the origin of the blasts.
While the authorities have yet to confirm the cause of the explosions, Banias has previously been a target of the Israeli forces, who aimed at the Iranian facilities in the area in particular, according to the Observatory.
There have been no reports of casualties or damage in civilian areas yet, the Observatory noted, adding that no surface-to-air missile launches were detected during the recent blasts. â–
