Fire erupts south of Al-Aqsa Mosque compound

An apparent accidental fire erupted in occupied al-Quds ('Jerusalem') near the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound late on Wednesday night, Palestinian civil defense told Ma’an.

Palestinian civil defense volunteer Muayyad al-Ghoul told Ma'an that teams controlled a fire which erupted near the Umayyad Palace, located south of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound.

Israeli police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld told Ma’an that he was not familiar with the incident, and would look into the reports.

It was later revealed that the fire was believed to have been caused by a cigarette thrown in the area, causing nearby bushes to catch fire.

Al-Ghoul said that volunteers checked on worshipers at the nearby Marwani prayer hall, confirming that no injuries had been reported.