Pipeline Sabotage Halts Gas Supply to Key Syrian Power Plants, Worsening Power Shortage
An explosion on a key eastern Syrian pipeline on Monday night halted gas flow to power plants, Syrian authorities reported Tuesday.
The incident marks the latest act of sabotage against the country's damaged energy infrastructure.
According to reports from the official state news agency SANA, the blast struck a sectional valve on a pipeline connecting the Al-Shoula area to Deir ez-Zor, triggering a major fire.
An official with the Syrian Petroleum Company confirmed the incident disrupted supply from the Al-Jabsah processing plant, one of Syria's primary gas facilities.
No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack. However, Deir ez-Zor province—home to Syria's largest oil and gas fields—remains a hotbed for lingering Islamic State group fighters.
Remnants of the militant group frequently carry out asymmetrical strikes against energy logistics to undermine post-war stabilization efforts following the 2024 fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime.
The incident marks the second major attack on the Al-Jabsah facility in recent weeks, following a similar act of sabotage reported on Aug. 18.
The site was returned to central government control earlier this year as part of broader efforts to secure regional infrastructure, amid the ongoing energy crisis across the nation.
Syrian Energy Minister Mohammad al-Bashir recently noted that domestic gas production has plummeted from a pre-war average of 30 million cubic meters per day to just 8.5 million cubic meters.
Meanwhile, daily national demand ranges between 22 million and 25 million cubic meters, leaving power plants severely under-resourced.
The supply shortfall comes amid mounting public anger. Earlier this month, widespread protests erupted across the country over sharp fuel price hikes, which officials attributed in part to broader regional conflicts.
To rebuild its energy sector, Damascus signed a deal in June with U.S. firm ConocoPhillips to develop domestic gas resources.
However, persistent insurgent attacks highlight the security challenges facing new authorities as they attempt to draw foreign investment and restore basic utilities to the war-torn country.