ADEN, Yemen, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- A group of unidentified gunmen carried out an attack and sabotaged a crude oil pipeline in southern Yemen's oil-rich province of Shabwa, a government official said on Monday.
The gunmen used explosives to bomb the main crude pipeline near the Jannah Hunt oil field on Sunday night, which has caused significant damage and resulted in a substantial crude oil spill, said the official who required anonymity.
He added that the motives behind the attack remain unclear as the gunmen's identities are yet to be unveiled.
The pipeline, connecting the Jannah Hunt oil field with the crude oil storage facilities in Alam, Jardan district, is now inoperative, posing a challenge to the region's oil distribution network, according to the official.
Security forces and an engineering team were dispatched to repair the damage, who were however hindered by the gunmen, leading to an armed confrontation near the oil field.
The situation escalated until the Giants Brigades, a militia loyal to the Southern Transitional Council, intervened. These forces have been governing Shabwa since early 2022.
The region's oil infrastructure has been vulnerable to repeated attacks by various armed groups, often motivated by service demands or as a means to exert pressure on local authorities for various reasons, including the release of prisoners. ■
