Economy June 15, 2026 11:19 AM

Undersea Cable Near Tartous Damaged in Alleged Sabotage, Syria Faces Widespread Internet Disruptions

State telecom operator reports damage on international link to Egypt and warns repairs will take time amid claims of a targeted campaign against communications infrastructure

By Avery Klein
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Syrian state-owned telecom operator reported damage to an international undersea cable linking Tartous, Syria, to Alexandria, Egypt. The operator described the incident as sabotage near the coast of Tartous and said the outage affected internet service for a large number of subscribers across Syria. Restoring full service will require time, and the operator framed the event as part of a systematic campaign targeting the country’s telecommunications sector.

Undersea Cable Near Tartous Damaged in Alleged Sabotage, Syria Faces Widespread Internet Disruptions
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Key Points

  • An international undersea cable connecting Tartous, Syria, to Alexandria, Egypt was reported damaged near the Tartous coast and described by Syrian Telecom as an act of sabotage.
  • The outage disrupted internet services for a large number of subscribers across Syria, per statements made to state news agency SANA.
  • Syrian Telecom said maintenance and full restoration will require time and characterized the incident as part of a systematic sabotage campaign targeting the telecommunications sector; the cable serves as an international link between Syria and Egypt.

Syrian Telecom, the state-owned telecommunications operator, announced that an international undersea cable connecting Tartous in Syria with Alexandria in Egypt was damaged in what the company described as an act of sabotage near the coast of Tartous.

According to statements made to the state news agency SANA, the disruption affected internet services for a large number of subscribers across Syria. The cable in question serves as a connection point linking Syria and Egypt for international internet traffic, and its impairment has interrupted that route.

Syrian Telecom said maintenance work and the full restoration of services will take time. The company characterized the incident as part of what it described as a systematic sabotage campaign targeting the country’s telecommunications sector.

The operator did not provide additional technical details in its public statements to SANA about the location of the damage beyond describing it as near the Tartous coast, nor did it offer a specific timeline for when service would be fully restored. The report highlighted the immediate consequence of interrupted service for many subscribers across Syria but did not quantify the number of affected users.

Because the damaged undersea cable functions as an international link between Syria and Egypt, the outage has implications for the country’s external internet connectivity. Syrian Telecom’s public characterization of the event as part of a broader campaign against telecommunications indicates the operator views the damage as intentional rather than accidental.

For now, the company has limited its remarks to stating that repair operations will be necessary and urging patience as maintenance proceeds. No further information on the scope of repair work, the agencies involved, or a firm restoration schedule was provided in the statements relayed to SANA.


Summary of the situation: An international undersea cable linking Tartous to Alexandria was reported damaged in what Syrian Telecom called sabotage near Tartous, disrupting internet for many subscribers across Syria. The state operator said repairs will take time and framed the incident as part of a systematic campaign against the telecommunications sector.

Risks

  • Prolonged service interruptions while maintenance and full restoration are underway - affects subscribers and services dependent on internet connectivity.
  • An ongoing campaign targeting telecommunications infrastructure, if accurate, could cause repeated or broader disruptions to the telecommunications sector.
  • Damage to an international connection point between Syria and Egypt risks reduced external internet connectivity until repairs are completed.

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