Syria arrests suspects after Al-Hasakah pipeline sabotage
Shafaq News- Damascus
Syrian authorities arrested suspects over the sabotage of an oil pipeline near Tal Hamis in Al-Hasakah province on Wednesday after the attack damaged the line, the Syrian Petroleum Company (SPC) said.
According to SPC, the attack occurred at 6 a.m. near kilometer marker 50, before Tal Hamis. Maintenance and emergency teams began repairs to return the pipeline to service as quickly as possible.
The company did not specify how many suspects were arrested.
The incident was part of a recent series of attacks on Syria’s energy pipelines and facilities, SPC said, adding that such attacks affect critical infrastructure, the energy sector, and related services.
On Sept. 28, sabotage damaged the Jbessa gas pipeline between Al-Shoula and Deir ez-Zor, halting gas supplies to power stations before service was restored on Oct. 2 after crews replaced an 18-meter section. A separate act of sabotage on Aug. 18 damaged a gas export pipeline from the Jbessa Gas Plant in the Al-Hasakah countryside, halting pumping and affecting supplies to power-generation turbines.
Syria remains dependent on energy imports as domestic production falls short of demand. Energy Minister Mohammad Al-Bashir said in September that oil production stood at about 112,000 barrels per day, while the country faced a supply gap of around 200,000 bpd covered by imports. Syria also needs about $831 million a month to purchase crude oil and petroleum products.
In July, Syria and Iraq signed agreements to revive the Kirkuk-Baniyas oil corridor linking Iraqi crude supplies to Syria’s Mediterranean coast. SPC Chief Executive Youssef Qablawi said on Tuesday that construction of a pipeline carrying Iraqi oil to Syria’s Mediterranean coast could begin in the first quarter of 2027, with preliminary engineering work underway and Baniyas port being prepared to receive Iraqi crude.
