The Lebanese "Nidaa Al Watan" newspaper quoted military experts as questioning the explosion of 2750 tons of ammonium nitrate in the Beirut port, stressing that the quantity that exploded does not exceed several hundreds of tons. The Lebanese newspaper suggested that quantities of ammonium were stolen.
The Russian expert, Victor Murakhovsky, confirmed - according to the newspaper - that "large quantities of ammonium nitrate were stolen from the port of Beirut and the remaining quantity exploded, because the explosion of 2750 tons would inevitably lead to the removal of Beirut from the map."
The newspaper continues, "The opinions of the Lebanese experts are not far from the reality of these analyzes. Their analysis of the photos and videos that documented the explosion made them realize well that there is a hidden stitch behind the fateful August 4 explosion."
The Italian explosives expert, Danilo Kobe, believes "there were weapons and ammunition at the moment of the explosion in the Lebanese port."
A high-ranking Lebanese explosives expert does not rule out the hypothesis of the presence of other materials in Ward No. 12, saying that “terrorist groups usually use ammonium nitrate due to its ease of manufacture and relatively low price. These materials can be manufactured at low cost by mixing ammonia and nitric acid, and it is a chemical substance. Medium blast industrial, which is 4 times stronger than gunpowder, while TNT surpassed it in terms of blast strength, which is 4 times stronger than it.
The expert continues his analysis by explaining that, "Due to the location of ward No. 12 at the edge of the water basin, two-thirds of the force of the explosion was dissipated in the sea and the remaining third caused the damage that occurred between people and property. Despite the damage, we suspect that 2750 tons of nitrates would explode, and I estimate that The quantity is much less, and some of it was transported outside the port during the years of storage. "
He concluded, "The presence of an arms store was the cause or instigator for the explosion of nitrates, since this substance needed a detonator and an inducer to explode. And the first video of the fire may be the best proof of this, as the explosion of heavy bullets (anti-aircraft ammunition) was noticed and not fireworks used. In making them compounds that give different colors. "
The newspaper adds that, based on the analysis of the Russian expert Murakhovsky that the amount of 2750 tons of ammonium nitrate is exaggerated, a quantity that may not exceed 300 tons, a military expert indicates that "this analysis is very logical, because every 4 kilograms of ammonium nitrate is equivalent to one kilogram. From TNT. "
The newspaper concludes its article by saying, "If the experts’ analyzes are correct regarding the incorrectness of this quantity of nitrates to explode, then this raises a number of questions, most notably: Who benefits from storing explosive materials? Where are the remaining quantities? Where were they taken? How? And when?