‘Explosion’ damages Syrian gas pipeline, cause unknown

An explosion reportedly hit a gas pipeline in north-eastern Syria Wednesday — but it was unclear if the incident was a deliberate attack.

No casualties were reported, and the BBC said production was understood to be unaffected.

Syria's Oil Ministry confirmed Wednesday there was a blaze in a pipeline that was under maintenance, in Deir el-Zour province, but did not comment on the cause.

Rami Abdel Rahman, director of the London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, told the Associated Press:

The explosion hit the gas pipeline last night in al-Tayyaneh, north-east of the town of Mayadin.

Meanwhile state television said production was continuing along other pipelines in Syria which, in addition to natural gas, produces about 350,000 barrels of oil per day.

If the incident is confirmed as an attack, it would be the first targeting infrastructure since a popular uprising against the rule of President Bashar al-Assad began in March.

Reuters reported that some residents suspect the Syrian government was behind the blast, in an effort to discredit the democracy cause.

According to AP, oil exports are a principal earner of foreign currency for the Syrian regime.

On Monday, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said al-Assad had “lost all legitimacy” to rule, hours after a crowd of Assad loyalists attacked the U.S. and French embassies in the Syrian capital, Damascus.