Damascus, May 9 (IANS) A fire erupted in a major oil refinery in war-torn Syria due to a leak, the country's state news agency SANA reported on Sunday.

The blaze took place at a distillation unit as a result of a pump leak in the Homs oil refinery in central Syria, dpa news agency quoted the SANA report as saying.

The agency carried images of smoke billowing from the facility as firefighters were trying to put out the blaze.

SANA, citing a local firefighting official, reported that the blaze was later brought under control without causing casualties.

"The cooling process is now under way. There are no casualties," chief of the Homs firefighting brigade, Hassan Amar, said.

Last month, a fire broke out on an oil tanker off the coastal city of Baniyas following a suspected drone attack.

Three Syrians died in that blaze, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a war monitor.

Syria has been roiled by a civil war for more than 10 years.

Russia and Iran back Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, while Turkey has been supporting opposition forces since a pro-democracy uprising erupted against his rule in March 2011.

--IANS ksk/