HOMS, Syria, Nov. 25 (UPI) -- The mayor of Homs, Syria, Talal Barazi, said work crews were repairing the city's oil refinery, damaged in what was described as an attack by terrorists.
Barazi said the city was providing all necessary resources to help in the repairs, the official Syrian Arab News Agency reported Sunday.
Akram Sultan, directory of the refinery, said terrorists attacked the facility during the weekend, crippling its ability to deliver crude oil to the Syrian market.
SANA reported one worker was injured in the attack.
In another attack, rebel forces, including those aligned with al-Qaida, captured the Omar oil field in eastern Syria, The New York Times reported Satuday. The report didn't indicate if the field's production infrastructure was damaged in the attack.
Syria relies on oil and natural gas revenue to help pay off its government debt but its long-running civil war and western economic sanctions have restricted the country's ability to exploit its oil and natural gas reserves.
The U.S. Energy Information Administration says Syria's oil production is down by more than half since its war began in 2011.
