A group of al-Qaida gunmen blew up a pipeline transferring liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Yemeni Marib province to the Belhaf Port Terminal for export in the southern Shabwa province on Monday, police and official of Yemen Gas Co. told Xinhua.

The provincial police official in Belhaf said that the explosion, which took place in Shabwa province, caused a huge fire and smoke as the pipeline was badly damaged and the LNG supply was cut off.

Al-Qaida militants used a lot of bomb devices in the explosion, which was witnessed by some tribesmen in the area, said the police official.

Meanwhile, an official at the Yemen Gas Co. for LNG said that the company announced the emergency state and the work had been suspended since early Monday morning.