Fuel price protests strand hundreds of oil tankers on Syria's M4 highway

Hundreds of oil tanker trucks were stranded on a major highway in northeastern Syria on Wednesday after demonstrators blocked the road near the town of Tal Tamr, protesting against rising fuel prices.

The protest has halted traffic on the M4 highway, cutting off tankers carrying oil from the Qamishli and Rmeilan fields. According to a protester from the Tal Tamr countryside, Ageed Kavra, between 400 and 500 tankers are being held at the site. He said the demonstrators have no quarrel with the drivers, describing them as fellow citizens, relatives and "sons of this country," but are holding the vehicles to press for lower prices.

Kavra said the tankers had come from Qamishli, Malikiyah and Rmeilan and were heading for Baniyas. They have been held for five days, he added, with drivers telling protesters they would stand with them until the government makes diesel cheaper. He called for an official reduction, "not by words and promises."

The government announced on Sunday what it described as temporary increases in the prices of gasoline, diesel and other petroleum products. It cited rising global fuel prices linked to the U.S.-Iran war as well as repair work at the Baniyas refinery on the country's coast. Gasoline prices rose by about 30 percent and diesel by 40 percent.

Drivers caught in the blockade described the strain of the price rise. Marwan al Hamidi, a tanker driver transporting oil from Rmeilan to Homs, said a litre of diesel had recently reached 18,000 Syrian pounds (about $1.3). He said he and his colleagues are civilians working for companies and that living and transport costs have become difficult for everyone.

Another driver, Mohammed al Hamid, said goods and shipments in Syria depend heavily on transportation, so the diesel increase pushes up prices across the board. He urged the ministry to reconsider and lower fuel prices in a way that suits the Syrian people.

Syria produces around 100,000 barrels of oil per day, while domestic consumption requires about 325,000 barrels per day, leaving the country reliant on imports to cover the gap.