A gas pipeline near the town of Rastan in the central Syrian province of Homs was destroyed in an explosion on Monday, the second reported blast at a pipeline in the province over the course of a week.
A pro-democracy protest movement in the region has been the focus a crackdown by forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad, Reuters reported, and increased fighting between the army and insurgents has been reported in the area in the last few weeks.
"The fire lit the night sky and could be seen from kilometers away," witness and Homs resident Abu Khalaf told Reuters.
Rastan, 25 kilometers north of the provincial capital of Homs on the main Damascus-Aleppo highway, was the site at the end of September of one of the first battles between army defectors and loyalist forces.
Defectors have tried to avoid open fighting since then, opting for hit-and-run attacks on patrols and security compounds, Reuters reported.
Â
Â