Yemeni oil pipeline attacked

SANAA, Yemen, July 14 (UPI) -- The Yemeni Oil Ministry said restive tribesmen in Marib province attacked an oil pipeline, cutting exports to a Red Sea terminal.

Yemen relies heavily on oil revenue to support its economy. Tribesmen in an area thought to be under the influence of al-Qaida fighters targeted the 100,000-barrel-per-day pipeline to the Ras Isa export terminal Saturday, the oil ministry confirmed.

Yemen since the so-called Arab Spring in 2011 has struggled to maintain a sense of national security. It's faced pressure from Shiite rebels in the north of the country and from the presence of al-Qaida, a predominately Sunni group, elsewhere.

The Yemeni government has said militants have tried to use attacks on oil infrastructure as a way to bargain for more revenue sharing.

Norwegian energy company DNO International said last week it resumed oil production from Yemen, ending a two-week hiatus. The company suspended operations there June 24 after local labor unions took unilateral action to stop work at the Howarime and South Howarime reserve areas in the country.

The oil pipeline from Marib province was the target of a January attack.