Unidentified gunmen early on Sunday blew up a pipeline for transporting crude oil to an exporting port in Yemen's southeastern province of Shabwa, a government official said.

The explosion, which occurred for the second time in less than a month, targeted the crude oil pipeline in Rawdah district in the east of Shabwa, the local government official said on condition of anonymity.

Earlier this month, a similar attack targeted the same pipeline which is occasionally detonated by gunmen linked to the al-Qaida terrorist group or anti-government tribesmen.

Late last year, the Saudi-backed Yemeni government resumed exporting operations of oil from fields 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 pipeline blast, but previous similar attacks in the region were claimed by al-Qaida militants.

Shabwa boasts five sectors of crude oil production, which produce 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.

AFP