Syria said an explosion caused by sabotage on an eastern gas pipeline the night before halted the flow of gas to power stations.

Axar.az informs, citing SANA, an explosion and fire broke out on a gas pipeline between Syria’s Al-Shula region and Deir ez-Zor after a valve on the pipeline was sabotaged.

Hisham al-Salih, head of the gas sector at the Syrian Petroleum Company, told Syria’s official SANA news agency that the fire had halted gas supplies from the Jabsah Gas Plant to power generation stations.

He said firefighting teams immediately began isolating the pipeline on both sides of the affected area. As gas pressure in the area dropped, the teams continued their efforts to extinguish the fire, he added.

The area between Al-Shula and Deir ez-Zor is home to gas production and transportation facilities and pipelines.