Electricity shortages have spread across eastern Syria after an attack on gas transmission infrastructure near the Iraqi border. A total of 3 power plants are now out of service following an explosion that targeted a shut-off valve in the Al-Shoula region of Deir ez-Zor, according to the Syrian state news agency. The blast sparked a fire that has halted the flow of gas from the Jbeissa plant to the domestic electrical grid, while the Syrian Oil Company attributed the incident to sabotage.

Syria currently produces 8.5 million cubic meters of gas per day to meet a demand of 22 million to 25 million cubic meters, a decline from 30 million cubic meters daily before the civil war. Fuel price spikes led to public protests earlier this month, though Damascus signed a deal with ConocoPhillips in June to rebuild the national gas network. Emergency teams in the Al-Shoula region are continuing efforts to quench the blaze and restore pressure to the line.