The Syrian state media says the series of explosions was caused by an electrical fault at an ammunition depot in the area.
About four explosions were heard coming from the direction of the military airport Saturday, a Damascus resident told CNN.
„I assume it was from an airstrike because of the explosions afterwards and ambulances with firefighters that went to the scene,“ the resident said.
Some clips of the explosions and the aftermath — seemingly filmed by phones at a distance — emerged on various forums including Facebook and WhatsApp. Video showed bright flashes of light in the night sky in some kind of explosion, but didn’t reveal precisely what caused the blasts.
Syrian state media in the past have widely reported Israeli and other airstrikes targeting regime bases, outposts or other Syrian targets.
Besides the military airport, the al-Mazzeh area is home to embassies, security buildings and the homes of some members of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s inner circle, according to opposition activists.