Huge explosion hits ammunition depot near military air base in Iraq's Salahudin

A huge explosion at an ammunition depot occurred on Tuesday at a paramilitary Hashd Shaabi camp near an air base in Iraq's central province of Salahudin, a security source said, Trend reports citing Xinhua.

At least two paramilitary Hashd Shaabi members were killed and five others were wounded by the explosion that occurred near Balad Air Base, some 80 km north of the capital Baghdad, Munaf al-Khazraji from the federal police told Xinhua.

The explosion was followed by many explosions at the camp, which is said to belong to Hezbollah Shiite militia, according to al-Khazraji.

It was not immediately clear what caused the blast, but it triggered stored rockets that landed into the nearby Balad air base, where U.S. military personnel and experts are stationed, al-Khazraji said, without giving further information.

A brief statement on the Defense Ministry's Facebook page said Minister Najah al-Shammari arrived at the scene of the blast.