DAMASCUS: An attempted terror attack on Homs oil refinery was foiled on Tuesday, the Syrian Arab Republic’s General Intelligence Directorate, in cooperation with the Internal Security Forces, said on Tuesday.

The plot involved a cell allegedly affiliated with Hezbollah, according to a statement from the Internal Security Forces. Authorities said the operation disrupted the planned attack.

Further details regarding the cell’s members, the nature of the alleged plot and any arrests have not yet been provided.

The arrests follow an announcement by Syrian intelligence on Sunday that it had thwarted a plot targeting the refinery, without initially identifying those responsible.

The Homs refinery is one of Syria’s two main oil refineries, alongside the Baniyas facility, and plays a crucial role in supplying the domestic market with petroleum products, including diesel, fuel oil and kerosene.

The alleged plot comes amid repeated attacks on Syria’s energy infrastructure. On Oct. 15, an oil products pipeline linking Baniyas and Homs was damaged in what Syrian authorities described as an act of sabotage, causing a fuel leak.

A gas pipeline in the northeastern province of Hasakah was also targeted by an explosion the same day, sparking a fire and prompting emergency repairs.

Syrian authorities have previously accused Hezbollah of operating cells inside the country. In September, security forces announced the arrest of three members of an alleged Hezbollah-linked cell accused of preparing rocket attacks in the southern province of Daraa.

Hezbollah denied the allegations, insisting that it had no presence in Syria or involvement in security or military activities there.

The Lebanese group was a key military ally of former Syrian President Bashar Assad during the civil war, before his government was overthrown in December 2024.