Shabwah gas, oil pipelines blow up, Qatar terrorism targets Yemeni resources

Ali Ragab

It appears that Qatar is resuming its devious schemes in Yemen by targeting stability at liberated governorates South of Yemen, through its arms of terrorism, including the Muslim Brotherhood, Al-Qaeda and the Houthi militia.

Unknown gunmen blew up Yemen’s major gas export pipeline, which was 320 kilometres (199 miles) long, on Wednesday evening, just two days following similar attacks on the oil pipeline in the war-torn Arab country.

The explosion occurred in Radhum district of Shabwa province, sabotaging the pipeline linking between Yemen’s gas-producing Marib province and the export terminal of Balhaf.

Residents confirmed that the explosion set up fire that could be seen from several miles away.

On Monday, gunmen blew up the pipeline at Kilo 108 in Mater district of al-Rawdha in the same province, causing the oil pumping operation to stop at the port of Nashima.

Targeting Yemen’s oil and gas resources comes in accordance with a scheme to promote a message that southern Yemen is not safe, to feed the interests of its terrorist arms.

In January, violent clashes broke out between the Muslim Brotherhood and Shabanian tribes in the Uqla region against the background of popular rejection of the continued dominance and acquisition of Shabwa’s oil and gas. The Shabwa elite has succeeded in thwarting plans by Yemen’s Muslim Brotherhood in controlling Shabwa’s oil.

The Qatari absurdity in the south came after a meeting between leaders of the Houthi militia, the Muslim Brotherhood and Al-Qaeda in Sanaa in coordination with Qatar for the sole purpose of destabilizing the liberated Yemeni governorates, especially in the south.

The meeting was held at the house of the national security agent of the Houthi militia in the capital Sanaa, Motlaq Amer al-Marrani, also known as Abu Emad, headed by head of the milita’s military intelligence, Abu Ali Al-Hakim and others.

Sources close to Abu Ali said the meeting discussed planning terrorist operations to target security, military and political personalities in the liberated areas.

The province of Shabwa, south of Yemen, has a significant geopolitical importance; it was one of the first governorates in Yemen to reject the Houthi constitutional declaration in January 2015, not to mention that it rejects the existence of the Muslim Brotherhood.

Shabwa also has a remarkable strategic location, which enables it to be an oil smuggling hub, not to mention a port for smuggling arms to the Houthis.

Shabwa produces more than 50,000 barrels of oil per day, which is a strategic target for the Houthi and Brotherhood militias to control the province’s wealth.

In remarks to The Reference, Nizar Haitham, leader of the Yemeni Southern Transitional Council, said the Muslim Brotherhood is keen to steal Shabwa’s oil wealth to fuel the interests of its “emirate” in Marib.

He also pointed out that targeting Shabwa’s oil and gas pipelines is an attempt by Qatar to destabilize Yemen and promote a fake message that Southern Yemen is not a safe place, in order to support military operations by the Muslim Brotherhood.