Syria says it foiled plan to attack Homs refinery — Al Jazeera

Syrian security forces said they had foiled an alleged plan to attack an oil refinery in Homs, central Syria, and detained two people. According to the security forces, the detainees were linked to the Lebanese group Hezbollah. This was reported by Al Jazeera.

Detentions and explosive devices

Syria’s General Intelligence Service said on social media platform X that the operation was carried out jointly with internal security forces. The agency described it as preventive and said explosive devices had been seized which, according to the security forces, had been prepared to carry out the planned attack.

The security forces disclosed only the initials of the two detainees — M S and B Sh. The time and exact location of the operation were not specified.

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Hezbollah’s denial

Hezbollah rejected the accusations by the Syrian authorities. In a statement, the group reiterated that it has no presence in Syria and does not engage in activities that undermine the country’s security and stability.

The Homs oil refinery is one of two such facilities in Syria, alongside the refinery in Baniyas, and plays an important role in supplying the country with petroleum products. Syrian authorities had previously also accused Hezbollah of involvement in alleged assassination plots, missile attacks and arms smuggling.

Separately, Syria’s General Intelligence Service reported the detention of two suspected members of an ISIL cell in Deir ez-Zor province. According to the agency, the investigation links them to a series of killings in the region, including an armed attack on Ibrahim al-Jassem, a representative of the Ministry of Defense, near the al-Rashid mosque in the city of Mayadin.