On Saturday overnight, attackers using explosives sabotaged a gas pipeline in southern Yemen, the energy operator and security officials said on Sunday.
Yemen LNG said in a statement posted on its Internet site that the blast occurred shortly after midnight, but it did not give details on any injuries or damage.
"Yemen LNG confirms the sabotage of the 38-inch gas pipeline that links the block 18 to the Balhaf terminal on the Gulf of Aden. The sabotage occurred on 16th December, 2012 at 00:35 hrs at 173 km north of Balhaf," it said.
A Yemeni official, asking not to be identified said that unknown assailants "placed an explosive charge at pipeline level" in the Al-Zahira area of Shabwa province, causing a shutdown.
Similar explosions struck gas pipelines that also feed the Balhaf terminal in October, September, August, May and March, the latter forcing the suspension of gas exports for three weeks.