Aden (Yemen), May 14 (Xinhua-ANI): An armed group of al-Qaida militants attacked a gas pipeline in Yemen's southeastern province of Shabwa, a security official told Xinhua on Monday.
The pipeline, which transports LNG from central Maarib province to an export facility at Balhaf on the Gulf of Aden, was blew up late on Sunday night by al-Qaida group, the local security official said on condition of anonymity.
The fresh attack is the fourth against oil and gas facilities in the restive province of Shabwa within two months, the official said.
Sunday's attack came just a few hours after the government troops backed by air and naval forces launched mass offensive against the al-Qaida terrorist group in neighboring Abyan province, he added.
Local resident told Xinhua anonymously that "huge blast was heard and later we were informed that gas pipeline in Mayfaa area in Shabwa was targeted by rockets."
A source close to the al-Qaida militants confirmed to Xinhua " the Jihadists blew up a gas pipeline last night in response to the indiscriminate shelling against our bastions in Abyan."
On Sunday, the Yemeni government troops bombarded several al- Qaida-held sites in the southern province of Abyan with rockets and artillery, killing at least 20 insurgents, while about 10 soldiers were also killed in the fighting, a military official told Xinhua.
Yemen's economy is dependent on oil production, with oil export accounting for about 63 percent of the impoverished country's budget. (Xinhua-ANI)
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