Armed tribal groups loyal to local factions deployed around a key oil facility in Yemen's eastern province of Hadramout on Saturday, heightening tensions in one of the country's key energy regions, a security official said, according to Xinhua.
"Armed tribal groups were deployed near a number of oil facilities and began besieging PetroMasila's Sector 14 oil site in Hadramout," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.
"Tensions are extremely high. Armed, masked gunmen have taken positions around the facility, blocking all access routes, raising the risk of a confrontation with the Hadrami Elite Forces of the Yemeni government," the source said.
"Intelligence suggests that some tribal factions have secretly coordinated with elements linked to al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula to destabilize Hadramout and undermine the pro-government forces," the source added.
The siege of the oil facility followed a late-Thursday declaration by tribal leaders granting their fighters full authority to "resist by all means" to defend Hadramout and its natural resources.
MNA
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