Syrian citizens protest fuel price hikes across multiple provinces

On Sunday, hundreds of Syrians took to the streets in Al-Hasakah, Idlib, Deir Ezzor, Raqqa and the rural outskirts of Aleppo to oppose a newly announced rise in fuel prices. The Energy Ministry described the increase as temporary and attributed it to an exceptional surge in global procurement costs. Protesters blocked the Deir Ezzor-Aleppo highway near Huwayjat Shannan in Raqqa, using burning tires, and disrupted tanker traffic on routes such as Al-Hasakah-Deir Ezzor.

In Idlib, the M5 highway south of the province was also shut down near Maarat al-Numan. Residents expressed concern that the higher fuel costs will raise transportation and food expenses in a nation still trying to recover from the fall of the Assad regime. The Syrian Committee that sets fuel prices raised the cost of 95-octane gasoline and diesel to their highest levels since the transition began, marking the second increase in September.