Cable Cut Near Tartous
An international submarine cable that carries internet traffic between Tartous, on Syria's Mediterranean coast, and the Egyptian port of Alexandria was hit by an act of sabotage near the Tartous shoreline, the country's telecommunications authority said on 15 June 2026. The damage took a large share of Syria's international internet capacity out of service.
The authority described the incident as deliberate and said it occurred close to where the cable comes ashore. It did not name a precise location, identify those responsible, or estimate how much traffic was lost.
Nationwide Service Hit
The break degraded internet quality for a wide segment of subscribers across most Syrian governorates. With a significant portion of international capacity offline, users in different provinces faced slower and less reliable connections.
Officials said they moved immediately after the incident to take technical measures aimed at limiting the disruption and reducing its effect on users, though they did not say how long degraded service might last.
Slow Road to Repair
Restoring the link will not be quick. The authority said it is working to bring in specialized technical expertise to help with repairs and return the damaged capacity to service as soon as possible.
It cautioned that subsea cable maintenance is a complex and delicate operation requiring special equipment and technology, which could extend the repair period before service is fully restored.
Pattern of Attacks
The incident could not be separated from a series of sabotage acts targeting the country's telecommunications infrastructure, the authority said, describing them as intended to harm services to citizens and disrupt one of the country's vital sectors.
The disruption comes as the telecommunications sector pursues continued efforts to strengthen its infrastructure and improve internet and communication quality, amid technical and security challenges that weigh on the stability of networks and the continuity of service.