BEIRUT: Six members of a pro-government militia were killed Wednesday in an arms depot blast in the central Syrian province of Hama, a war monitor reported.

Seven other members of the National Defence Forces militia were wounded, the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, without identifying what triggered the blast.

The pro-government Al-Watan daily reported the same death toll and said the explosion was caused by a "technical error," without elaborating.

It said the wounded had been transported to a state hospital in Hama for treatment.

State media has yet to report on the incident.