Click to see full-size image. (Syrian Civil Defense)
A gas pipeline explosion near Damascus on September 30 knocked three power plants offline and sparked a large fire, threatening to deepen Syria’s electricity shortages, while a separate shooting attack on a bus in Homs province killed seven people in what was reported as an apparent sectarian attack.
The pipeline exploded in Eastern Ghouta, in the Damascus countryside, near the Tishreen power plant, according to Syria’s state news agency SANA.
The Syrian Electricity Company said the blast left the Deir Ali, al-Nasiriyah and Tishreen plants out of service because they lacked sufficient gas supplies.
Energy Minister Mohammed al-Bashir said later that the fire had been brought under control and that civil defense crews were cooling the site.
“The cause of the Tishreen power station explosion is still unclear,” al-Bashir told state media. “It could be a technical malfunction, an attack or an act of sabotage. Specialized teams will inspect the site after cooling to determine the exact cause.”
Al-Bashir said Tishreen would require repairs and maintenance after the damage was assessed. Gas pressure would then be increased gradually to allow the Deir Ali plant to resume operations, he added.
The Syrian Electricity Company warned that the loss of the three plants would increase the number of hours of power rationing as electricity supplies continue to dwindle.
The blast was the second to hit a gas pipeline in Syria in two days. An explosion on September 28 hit a line between al-Shoula and Deir Ezzor, setting it on fire and halting gas supplies from the Jbeissa plant to power stations. Syrian authorities blamed that incident on sabotage, but no perpetrators were identified.
The damage comes as Syria is already struggling with an energy crisis after years of war severely reduced electricity generation and damaged infrastructure.
Rising energy costs have also fueled public anger. Protests broke out across the country two weeks ago after the government raised diesel prices by as much as 40% and petrol prices by 28%. The government said the increases were temporary and reflected a sharp rise in global energy costs.
Hours after the pipeline explosion, gunmen opened fire on a civilian bus crossing the Misyaf Bridge in Homs, killing seven people and wounding four, according to SANA and a source in the Homs health directorate cited by Reuters. The wounded were taken to hospitals.
A security source told AFP that the passengers included “engineers and workers from a private company” as well as an employee of the Syrian Electricity Company who was among those killed.
The attack was reported as having an apparent sectarian character, with the victims identified as members of Syria’s Alawite minority. The perpetrators have not been identified and no group has claimed responsibility. Syrian authorities opened an investigation into the shooting.
Brig. Gen. Bassem Muhammad Shaaban, Homs’ internal security chief, condemned the attack and said those responsible would be pursued.
“We view this cowardly attack as an attempt to undermine the security and stability of the province of Homs,” Shaaban said. “This crime will not go unpunished. Internal security will continue to pursue the perpetrators until they are arrested and brought before the judiciary to receive their due punishment.”
The latest incidents expose the gap between Syria’s ambitions for economic recovery and the security conditions on the ground.
The Islamist-led government has yet to demonstrate that it can reliably protect critical energy infrastructure or contain sectarian violence, even as it promotes the country as a regional energy corridor and seeks foreign investments.
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