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An apparent explosion on an eastern gas pipeline in Syria halted gas flow to power stations in the latest act of sabotage against the Mediterranean country’s energy facilities, authorities said Tuesday.
“A fire broke out Monday evening in a gas pipeline between the Al-Shoula area and Deir ez-Zor due to the explosion of a sectional valve caused by sabotage,” the official SANA news agency reported.
Quoting an official at the Syrian Petroleum Company, SANA added that “the fire halted gas flow from the Al-Jabsah plant to power stations”.
It remains unclear who was behind the sabotage at this time.
Eastern Syria’s Deir ez-Zor province, home to the country’s main oil and gas fields, has seen persistent attacks since the so-called Islamic State terrorist group’s defeat in 2019.
IS group remnants regularly target energy infrastructure in the region in asymmetrical attacks meant to subvert Damascus’ push to fully secure its energy logistics.
A gas pipeline at the same facility was struck in what Syrian authorities also described as deliberate sabotage on 18 August.
Syrians across the country have been complaining about rising fuel prices, as authorities cite the Iran war as the reason for the hike.
Earlier this month, Syrians across the country took to the streets to protest the price increase.
Before the 2011-2024 war, which ravaged the country’s infrastructure, Syria produced 30 million cubic metres of gas per day for electricity generation, according to Energy Minister Mohammad al-Bashir.
Today, production has dropped to 8.5 million cubic metres, while demand ranges between 22 and 25 million cubic metres, according to al-Bashir.
In June, Damascus signed a contract with US oil giant ConocoPhillips to develop the country’s gas sector as the new authorities, who toppled longtime dictator Bashar al-Assad in 2024, seek to attract investment to support post-war reconstruction.
The Al-Jabsah facility is one of Syria’s main gas processing plants, located in an area that was returned to the central government’s full control earlier this year.
Additional sources • AFP