Syria Says It Foiled Plot to Target Homs Oil Refinery; Hezbollah Denies Accusation

Syrian security forces say they have foiled a plot to target the Homs oil refinery in central Syria, arresting a cell affiliated with Lebanon's Hezbollah armed group.

Syria's General Intelligence Service (GIS) said on X that the preemptive security operation was carried out in cooperation with the country's Internal Security Forces.

The service identified the two arrested individuals by their initials, M S and B Sh, but did not elaborate on the time or the location of the operation. It said explosive devices in their possession, prepared to execute the plot, were seized in the operation.

Hezbollah denied the Syrian accusations in a statement, reiterating that it does not have any presence on Syrian territory and is not involved in any activity that undermines the security and stability of Syria.

Hezbollah fought alongside former President Bashar al-Assad's forces during Syria's nearly 14-year civil war, but relations with Damascus have deteriorated sharply since his overthrow in 2024.

Syrian authorities have accused Hezbollah of involvement in a series of alleged plots, including planned assassinations, rocket attacks and arms smuggling.

The Homs refinery is one of Syria's two oil refineries, along with the Baniyas refinery, and plays a key role in securing petroleum products for the country.

In a similar operation, the GIS said on Sunday that it had arrested two members of a suspected ISIL (ISIS) cell in the governorate of Deir Az Zor.

Sunday's statement added that investigations showed the detainees' involvement in a series of assassinations in the province, the latest of which targeted defence ministry member Ibrahim al-Jassem with a gunshot near the al-Rashid mosque in the city of Mayadin.

The operation led to the seizure of weapons and ammunition found in the cell's hideout, the security forces said, adding that authorities were continuing investigations to uncover the detainees' links in preparation for bringing them to justice.

On September 27, the security forces said they had arrested four members of an ISIL cell involved in planning and carrying out several attacks in different parts of the country.

On September 30, the Syrian Electricity Company said the Deir Ali, Nasiriya and Tishreen power stations had gone out of service after an explosion on a gas line at the Tishreen station in the Damascus countryside, which cut off the gas supply needed to run them.

On October 15, the Syrian Petroleum Company said the pipeline carrying petroleum products from Baniyas to Homs was damaged near the village of Hadida in the western Homs countryside, causing a fuel leak, in the latest in a series of attacks on Syria's energy infrastructure.

Last month, Syria's security forces foiled a plot to target a police patrol in the Damascus countryside, saying an ISIL cell was preparing to carry out the attack. State television reported that the group was responsible for explosions and assassinations in Raqqa, Aleppo, Idlib and Homs.

Damascus joined the US-led international coalition against ISIL last November. The coalition was formed in 2014 and has carried out operations against the group in Syria and Iraq.