DAMASCUS, Sept. 19 -- Syria's Ministry of Defense on Saturday held a funeral for 11 of its personnel killed in an explosion at a military site in the eastern province of Deir al-Zour a day earlier, according to state media.

The funeral procession was held at the National Hospital in Deir al-Zour city for the 11 servicemen killed in Friday's explosion in the Ayash area west of the provincial capital.

The explosion occurred at a weapons storage facility, according to local authorities. Emergency, health, and security teams were dispatched to the area following the blast, while rescue teams searched for casualties and missing personnel.

The cause of the blast remains under investigation, with no official findings released yet.

The incide...