A huge explosion has rocked the Syrian capital of Damascus followed by a fire near the airport.
The blast was heard across the city, jolting residents awake, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said.
Rami Abdel Rahman, UK head of the monitoring group, said: "The blast was huge and could be heard in Damascus.”
The cause of Thursday’s explosion was not immediately clear.
Activists said it happened near the airport road and was followed by flames rising above the area.
Pro-government site Damascus Now said the explosion was near the city's Seventh Bridge, which leads to the airport road.
Syria is in the sixth year of a bloody civil war pitting the government of President Bashar Assad and his allies against opposition forces.
The conflict has left more than 400,000 people dead.
