Syria Says It Foiled Hezbollah Plot to Blow Up Homs Oil Refinery

Photo: SANA (explosive devices seized by Syrian security forces in the Homs refinery plot)

Syria says it has stopped a bomb plot against the Homs oil refinery, arresting two men it links to Hezbollah and seizing explosive devices that were ready to be used. Hezbollah has denied the claim outright, saying it has no presence or activity on Syrian soil.

Syria's General Intelligence Service and its Internal Security Forces carried out what they called a pre-emptive operation, after what officials described as precise surveillance of the cell. Al Jazeera reported that the two men were named only by their initials, M S and B Sh, and that the authorities did not say when or where the arrests took place. Reuters reported that state news agency SANA carried the security forces statement, which said the seized devices had been prepared to attack the refinery.

The Homs refinery matters because it is one of only two refineries in Syria, along with Baniyas, and it plays a key part in keeping fuel supplies flowing at home. An attack on it would have hit ordinary Syrians first, through fuel shortages, at a time when the country is still rebuilding after nearly 14 years of civil war.

Hezbollah pushed back within hours. In a statement carried by Lebanese and regional outlets, the group said it had no presence or affiliations on Syrian territory and no involvement in any activity that undermines Syria's security and stability. It urged Damascus to guard against attempts to sow discord between the two countries.

The timing is hard to miss. The arrests came a day after Syria's Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shibani met a Lebanese delegation in Damascus, led by Deputy Prime Minister Tarek Mitri, to talk about border security and tightening control along the frontier. The National reported that the two sides spoke about stronger security coordination and better ties.

This is not the first such accusation. Since President Ahmad al-Shara's government took power after the fall of Bashar al-Assad in December 2024, Damascus has repeatedly accused Hezbollah of plots on Syrian soil, including planned assassinations, rocket attacks and arms smuggling. In late September, officers arrested three members of a Hezbollah linked cell and dismantled rocket launchers in the Yarmouk River basin. Hezbollah denied those claims too.

Energy sites have become a repeated target in Syria. In early October, Damascus reported sabotage against an oil pipeline and then a gas pipeline, and on 15 October the pipeline carrying fuel from Baniyas to Homs was damaged near Hadida, causing a leak. In a separate operation on Sunday, the intelligence service arrested two suspected ISIL members in Deir Az Zor, accused of a string of assassinations in the province.

What this means for the region is straightforward. Syria's new government is trying to show the United States and the wider world that it can root out armed groups and protect vital sites, and suspected Hezbollah cells have become a frequent focus of that effort. Each new accusation, denied or not, adds strain to a relationship that has already turned sharply since Hezbollah fought alongside Assad's forces during the war. The same week has already seen Iran set out five conditions for lasting regional security and explosions on Iran's Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz, so the region's energy routes are under strain from more than one direction.

Sources

Al Jazeera: Syria says it foiled Hezbollah plot to target Homs oil refinery

Reuters: Syria says it foiled Hezbollah plot to attack Homs oil refinery

SANA: Syrian forces foil plot targeting Homs refinery, arrest cell members

The National: Syria foils Hezbollah linked plot to blow up oil refinery

Watch for the investigation's next step, and whether Hezbollah's denial or Damascus's next claim shapes the border talks.

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