In brief
Syrian special services thwarted a terror plot targeting the oil refinery in Homs, seizing suicide vests, makeshift explosives, and remote‐detonation electronics. The operation ended without casualties, and several militants were neutralized. The same intelligence agency also carried out an operation against an Islamic State cell in Deir ez‑Zor.
Syrian special services uncovered a terrorist cell planning to sabotage an oil refinery in Homs, seizing suicide vests, makeshift explosive devices, electronic remote‑detonation gear, and detailed facility maps before the attack could be carried out, TASS reports.
The move came after security agencies tracked the group’s movements, cordoned off the refinery area, and detained the militants just before an act of sabotage could happen, according to a statement released by the main general intelligence department under the Syrian transitional government’s interior ministry.
Authorities seized all the explosive materials from the detainees and detained the militants, who were neutralized during the operation. No casualties were reported among security officers or workers at the refinery.
The oil refinery in Homs, which along with the complex at the port of Baniyas supplies petroleum products to the local market, is a key target for terrorist forces, the report noted.
An operation against a different Islamic State cell, which had previously targeted military and civilian facilities, was also conducted on Sunday in Syria’s eastern Deir ez‑Zor governorate, the agency said, resulting in the neutralization of several militants.
