Gas export pipeline targeted in northeastern Syria, fire erupts, SANA reports

The Jbessa gas export pipeline in northeastern Syria was targeted in the al-Arabidi area, causing a fire, state news agency SANA reports, citing the director of the Syrian Petroleum Company’s media office.

The company says in a statement that the 16-inch pipeline exploded at 5:15 p.m. in an area about 60 kilometers (37 miles) from the city of Shaddadi. It does not specify the cause of the explosion.

Technical teams isolated the damaged section by closing valves at the Jbessa gas plant and the Deir Ezzor gas station in the al-Bughailiya area, while firefighting and safety crews headed to the site to secure the area, the company says.

The extent of the damage and whether gas supplies had been disrupted are not immediately clear.

The explosion follows a separate incident this morning in which the Baniyas-Homs oil products pipeline was damaged near the village of Hudeida in the western Homs countryside in what the company describes as sabotage aimed at stealing fuel.

That incident caused a gasoline leak, the company says, adding that work is continuing to repair the damage and restore the line to service.