At 6:00 a.m. Wednesday, an oil pipeline in Syria’s northeastern Al‑Hasakah Governorate was struck, the state petroleum company said, marking a third sabotage incident in as many weeks. The blast fractured the 1,200‑km line that feeds the country’s main refinery in Ras Tanura, cutting off a critical supply route.
Years of civil war and the fall of Bashar al‑Assad in late 2024 have left Syria’s energy grid fragile; the country now imports roughly 70% of its crude and natural gas. The Al‑Hasakah segment was already operating at reduced capacity when the attack occurred.
Earlier this month, a gas pipeline near Tal Hamis blew up on Sept. 29, and an explosion at a Damascus‑area gas line took three power stations offline. Those incidents followed last month’s fuel‑price protests, which the government blamed on Middle‑East war‑driven price hikes.
The petroleum company said security forces arrested the alleged perpetrators and referred the case to the judiciary. Court documents indicate that the suspects are being held for interrogation while the investigation continues.
Maintenance crews have isolated the damaged section and begun patching the breach, but officials warned that the disruption could force fuel shortages in the region until the line is fully repaired. The next step will be a state‑wide review of pipeline security protocols, with officials slated to meet the following week.
The damage underscores the vulnerability of Syria’s energy infrastructure as it struggles to rebuild after years of war and foreign intervention.