Official: Gunmen Blow Up Oil Export Pipeline in NE Yemen
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Yemeni tribal gunmen blew up a main oil export pipeline in the northeastern province of Marib on Saturday, the third attack on the crude line in less than a month, provincial police officials said.
The attack occurred on Saturday dawn in the desert tribal area of Wadi Abida in Marib, some 173 km northeast of the capital Sanaa.
The attack forced the petroleum installation to halt pumping the crude to the export terminal port of Ras Esa in the Red Sea province of al-Hodayda, an official told Xinhua by phone.
Last week, the same pipeline, damaged by the previous attack, was repaired and resumed pumping crude.
The line carries about 110,000 barrels of crude oil per day from Marib province to the export terminal on the Red Sea.
Yemen has seen frequent attacks by al-Qaeda militants and armed tribesmen on oil pipelines.
Oil revenues make up more than 70 percent of Yemen's state budget, while oil and gas products account for over 90 percent of the exports.