A large explosion took place not far from the Jordanian capital Amman in the city of Zarqa, in the early hours of Friday morning.

Jordan's minister of state for media affairs, Amjad Adaileh, told state media said that preliminary investigations indicated that the explosion was caused by an electrical short circuit in a military building storing mortars and rounds.

"According to the Army General Command, until this moment, no casualites have been recorded as a result of the explosion," Adaileh was quoted as saying. A committee has been set up to determine the cause of the explosion.

The army base outside the city of Zarqa contained what the English-language version of the government statement described as "unusable mortar munitions." The government said that the area was remote and uninhabited, and was under video surveillance.

The area of the explosion, some 25 kilometers (15 miles) from the capital Amman, is home to a series of military facilities.

Residents in the area shared images of the explosion and reported windows of homes in Zarqa being shattered.

Zarqa has witnessed several explosions in the past, often caused by old munitions and fires in warehouses.

am/msh (Reuters, AFP)