DAMASCUS, July 5 (Xinhua) -- An ammunition depot in a Syrian military base went off in Syria's central province of Hama on Thursday, state news agency SANA reported.

The depot is located in the western neighborhood of the city of Mahardah in the northern countryside of Hama, said the report.

It added that the technical malfunction was behind the blast, denying reports that a car bomb was detonated in Mahardah.

Meanwhile, some activists claimed that the explosion rocked the ammunition warehouses of the Fifth Corps in Mahardah, adding that a rebel group called Sariyat Abu Amara claimed responsibility.

Activists said there were consecutive explosions in the depot with no report on casualties.