Syrian Military Shoots Down 5 Drones Targeting Oil Refinery in Homs - Reports

CAIRO (Sputnik) - The Syrian armed forces have shot down five unmanned aircraft attempting to attack an oil-processing plant in Syria's western province of Homs‎, Sham FM radio station reported on Sunday.

"Syrian forces have managed to shoot down five UAVs that attempted to attack oil refineries in the Ohms province," the statement issued by the radio station says.

Militants have been regularly conducting attacks on Homs' energy infrastructure facilities, including the aforementioned plant, according to the radio station.

Earlier in the month, militants shelled the plant and three gas station in the province, causing a fire in two of them.

Amid regular attacks on Syrian oil facilities, the country's oil ministry announced in December the launch of two gas fields producing a total of one million cubic metres of gas per day in order to improve the country's electricity supply.

Syria consumes about 100,000 barrels of oil per day and produces only 24,000 barrels. Many of the country's oil facilities are either destroyed or not controlled by the government, while Western sanctions hinder the delivery of oil and oil products to the country.