ISIS has claimed control of vital natural gas fields in Syria. The Arak and al-Hail gas fields. The fields are vital to power generation in areas still controlled by Bashar al-Assad. Syrian forces quoted by The Daily Star out of Lebanon, say ISIS cannot hold the fields for long.
Northeast of the city, ISIS seized the Al-Hail and Arak gas fields after attacking the facilities on Sunday. The jihadis consolidated their control by Monday, with at least 56 Syrian army troops killed in the two-day assault.
Al-Hail is the largest gas field in Homs province after the massive Shaer field, which remains under government control but has been attacked by ISIS before.
The Homs governor confirmed ISIS had attacked the fields, but denied reports they had fallen.
“We cannot say they are in control of these fields, as [ISIS] is incapable of holding one position for a long time,” Barazi said.
In the northwest, rebels and Al-Qaeda’s Syria affiliate the Nusra Front also edged closer to the Al-Mastumah military compound, one of the government’s last military bases in Idlib province.
