DAMASCUS, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- Two incidents involving Syria's oil and gas pipelines were reported Thursday, with an explosion triggering a fire in the northeastern province of Hasakah and a suspected theft-related act of sabotage causing a major gasoline leak and highway closure in the central province of Homs, state news agency SANA reported.
The Syrian Petroleum Company said an explosion struck the al-Jabsa gas export pipeline in the al-Arabidi area, about 60 km from the city of al-Shaddadi in southern Hasakah province, setting part of the pipeline ablaze.
Company spokesperson Oday al-Satouf said technical teams were working to contain the fire and assess the damage. The company expected repair work to be completed early next week, allowing gas supplies to return to normal.
During the disruption, alternative arrangements would be made to supply gas to power stations to prevent interruptions, while household gas supplies would remain unaffected, the company said.
Earlier Thursday, a petroleum-products pipeline connecting the coastal city of Baniyas with Homs was punctured near Hadida in western Homs province, causing a large gasoline spill and forcing authorities to close the Homs-Tartous highway in both directions as a precaution against fire hazards.
Al-Satouf attributed the damage to an act of sabotage aimed at stealing fuel.
The incidents follow a series of disruptions to Syria's energy infrastructure in recent weeks, including an explosion near the Tishreen power station outside Damascus that temporarily disrupted electricity generation.
Syria has been working to restore its energy infrastructure after years of conflict, amid continuing challenges to fuel supplies and electricity production. ■
