Mayadin is a Syrian town on the Euphrates, the Deir ez-Zor region’s district capital. Population around 44,000 in 2004.
Syria’s security forces have thwarted a plot to attack the Homs refinery, arresting two individuals and seizing explosives. Syrian authorities say the operation involved a cell linked to Hezbollah, though Hezbollah denies involvement. The Homs refinery remains a focal point amid a string of attacks on energy infrastructure.