A Series of Ammunition Depot Explosions Rock Indonesian Military Facilities
An ammunition depot belonging to the Army’s central equipment division exploded in Saradan District, Madiun Regency, East Java, on Thursday, 16 July 2026. Army Information Chief Brigadier General Donny Pramono stated that the explosion occurred while soldiers were conducting inspection and maintenance procedures on ammunition materials in one of the storage warehouses. “In this incident, one soldier was declared dead, four were seriously injured, and two others sustained minor injuries,” Donny said during a press conference on Thursday. The Indonesian National Armed Forces has not yet been able to determine the cause of the ammunition depot explosion. An investigation team deployed to the scene is still carrying out its duties in the field.
This incident adds to a list of ammunition explosions. Between 2024 and 2025, three other ammunition depots exploded. On 30 March 2024, a munitions depot belonging to the Army’s Kodam Jaya exploded in Ciangsana Village, Gunung Putri District, Bogor Regency. The then Pangdam Jaya, Major General Mohamad Hasan, said there were no fatalities from the incident. The explosion originated from depot number 6, which initially appeared to be emitting smoke. The ammunition stored in depot number 6 was expired, with some items estimated to be over 10 years old.
On 4 March 2024, a mortar bomb exploded at the Brimob Unit headquarters, Subden Jibom Datasemen Gegana Sat Brimob Polda Jatim, on Jalan Gresik, Surabaya. The explosion occurred in a storage warehouse containing various explosives scheduled for disposal, including black powder and over 1 kg of firecracker powder. East Java Police confirmed there were no fatalities, but 10 personnel were injured by flying glass shards during the blast.
On 12 May 2025, an explosion occurred at the Army’s Central Ammunition Centre III in Cibalong District, Garut Regency, during an ammunition disposal operation. The incident resulted in 13 deaths, including four Army personnel and nine civilians from the surrounding area. Army Chief of Staff General Maruli Simanjuntak explained that personnel were destroying unserviceable ammunition in Sagara Village, an area far from residential neighbourhoods. The location is land owned by the Natural Resources Conservation Agency and is routinely used by the military for the destruction of explosive materials. A local resident reported that civilians who died at the disposal site were likely assisting the demolition team, a practice of helping to arrange expired or unserviceable ammunition for detonation that occurs three to four times a year.