At least one person killed, 5 injured in explosion near Lebanon’s Sidon

At least one person was killed and five were injured in a fire and explosion near a scout center affiliated with the Shi’ite, Hezbollah-allied Amal Movement in Bnaafoul near Sidon in southern Lebanon on Monday night, according to Lebanese media.

The victim killed in the explosion was identified by Lebanese media as the son of the mayor of Bnaafoul.

The cause of the explosion is as of yet unclear. The Iranian IRNA news site stated that according to some reports, the site of the explosion was used by the Amal Movement to store ammunition and weapons. The Lebanese al-Janoubia reported that the site was used as a weapons depot as well.

A security source told Reuters that the explosion was not caused by an act of sabotage. According to Annahar, the explosion was caused by a tank containing diesel for generators and shots were reportedly fired before the explosion.

The explosion led to the destruction of the municipal council building and extensive damage to an adjacent building, according to Elnashra.

A dispute broke out between the Lebanese Army and Amal members at the site on Tuesday morning, according to Annahar.

The Lebanese Red Cross told Annahar that the exact number of victims is unknown and that teams are searching the site for the wounded.

The IDF has repeatedly warned that Hezbollah stores weapons near civilian buildings, including schools, mosques and residential buildings.