Blasts hit air base in western Syria

A series of explosions struck an air base Thursday in the western Syrian province of Latakia, a regime stronghold, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. "Several explosions were heard in an air defence base in the Snubar Jableh area" on Wednesday, said Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman. He said the cause of the explosions is "unclear" and that no casualties have been reported. A Syrian security source meanwhile told AFP that "a rocket fell near the base, causing a fire to break out." Latakia is a stronghold of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's regime, and is home to a large number of Alawites, who belong to the same minority Shiite sect as the country's embattled ruler. In July, ammunition warehouses in the area were hit by rockets. The Britain-based Observatory, which relies on a network of activists and other witnesses across Syria, did not report on the source of the rocket fire. Source: AFP