ADEN, Yemen, June 24 (Xinhua) -- Unknown gunmen on Monday blew up a pipeline for exporting crude oil in Yemen's southeastern province of Shabwa, a security official told Xinhua.
The Shabwa-based security source, who asked to remain anonymous, said that unknown gunmen blasted the crude oil pipeline linking the fourth sector in Jardan district, north of Shabwa, to the exporting oil port of Nushyma southeast of the province on the coast of the Arabian Sea.
Yemen's Oil and Mineral Investments Company said in a statement that the crude oil pipeline was attacked, causing a large leakage and stopping the pumping operation.
Monday's explosion is the second in less than a week after a similar attack in the Yemeni oil-rich province controlled by the government forces.
Late last year, oil production and export were resumed in Shabwa, following years of unrest that forced oil companies in the province to stop their operations.
No groups have so far claimed responsibility for the blast, but previous similar attacks in the region were claimed by al-Qaida militants.
Shabwa boasts five sectors of crude oil production, which produces about 15,000 barrels per day.
The Yemen-based al-Qaida branch and the Islamic State militants are active in the mountainous areas in the provinces of Shabwa and neighboring Abyan, carrying out sporadic attacks against government forces.
