Aden (South24)

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Ten soldiers were killed and nine others were injured at dawn on Thursday (June 11) as a result of a massive explosion inside a camp belonging to the Southern Giants Brigades (SGB) in the Al-Mamdara area, north-east of the capital, Aden, according to a military source who told South24 Center.

The source said the death toll remains preliminary, while rescue and inspection operations continued at the site following the explosion. Reports said that the blast caused extensive damage inside the camp, particularly in the area where ammunition and weapons were stored.

The explosion echoed after midnight in the vicinity of a military camp, leading to a massive fire followed by successive explosions believed to have been caused by the detonation of ammunition and weapons stored inside the site. 

Flames and plumes of smoke were seen rising from the camp, located near Aden International Airport, while the sound of the explosion was heard across wide areas of the city, particularly in the Khormaksar and Mansoura districts.

The official media spokesperson for the SGB forces, Aseel Al-Saqladi, said in a post on the X platform that the explosion resulted from the detonation of an ammunition depot inside the Giants Forces camp in Al-Mamdara.

He confirmed that the incident resulted in "some losses," adding that the situation is "stable and under control," and called on the residents of Aden not to panic.

Photos of some of the victims of the explosion, soldiers from the SGB, at one of the Aden’s hospitals. (Yafa News)

For his part, the spokesperson for the Aden Security Department, Khaled Al-Sanami, stated based on preliminary information that the incident is likely to have been caused by an electrical short circuit that led to a fire inside one of the weapons depots, before the flames spread to the stored ammunition and caused a series of explosions inside the camp.

In contrast, local sources spoke of hearing the sound of an aircraft flying in the area's airspace before the explosion occurred, as reported by the "Al-Araby Al-Jadeed" website. However, no official or military authority has yet issued clarifications confirming the circumstances of the incident or its final causes.

Following the incident, the Governor of Aden, Abdul Rahman Shaikh, directed the opening of an urgent investigation to determine its circumstances and causes, and to submit a preliminary report including the necessary findings and recommendations.

The governor directed the competent authorities to quickly provide the necessary medical care to the injured and utilize available resources to ensure they receive treatment and healthcare.

Over the past few years, Aden has witnessed similar incidents, some of which were linked to explosions inside weapons and ammunition depots at various military sites.