Attack on Yemen Oil Pipeline Disrupts Production, Raises Security Concerns

An unidentified group of gunmen on Sunday night attacked a crude oil pipeline in Shabwa, a resource-rich province in southern Yemen, causing significant damage and an extensive oil spill. The incident, which occurred near the Jannah Hunt oil field, has led to the suspension of pipeline operations, disrupting the region’s oil distribution network.

According to a government official who requested anonymity, the pipeline links the Jannah Hunt field with storage facilities in Alam, Jardan district. The attackers used explosives in the sabotage, but their identities and motives remain unknown.

The situation intensified when security forces and an engineering team, dispatched to repair the damage, faced armed resistance from the gunmen. This confrontation escalated until the Giants Brigades, a militia allied with the Southern Transitional Council that has controlled Shabwa since early 2022, intervened.

Shabwa’s oil infrastructure has frequently been targeted by various armed groups, often to fulfill service demands or exert pressure on local authorities for reasons such as the release of prisoners.