Suspected Al-Qaeda militants early today blew up a pipeline pumping liquefied gas to Yemen's
southern Balhaf export terminal, causing a complete halt in operations, security officials said.
Security chief brigadier-general of Yemen said that the attack took place around 1:00 am local
time today.
Another security official accused Al-Qaeda militants, who remain active in the region, of being behind the attack.
Witnesses said that dozens of villagers fled their houses due to a raging fire caused by the explosion.
The 320-kilometre pipeline linking Marib province to Balhaf, in Yemen's mostly lawless south, has been repeatedly sabotaged by Al-Qaeda militants.

Yemen said today it has placed its security services on high alert to prevent terrorist attacks after it uncovered a plot to launch assaults against security and military checkpoints. The ministry of interior said it has ordered security services across provinces as well as in the capital to increase their alertness. 

The orders come after security services uncovered a terrorist plot to carry out attacks by disguising themselves in military uniforms. Al-Qaeda militants have carried out several deadly attacks against Yemeni security services since President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi, who has repeatedly vowed to battle extremists, came to power this year.

India is extending humanitarian food assistance comprising rice to Yemen. The United Nations has requested the international community to assist the Arab country in view of political developments affecting its economy. An External Affairs ministry release says, the first consignment of the grain is scheduled to reach the Port of Hodaidah on the 13th of this month.

Aid agencies say Yemen is on the brink of a catastrophic food crisis with almost half the population of the country mal-nourished. 

Seven international agencies have called for the world to focus its attention on the problem rather than the just chaotic security situation and the threat from Al-Qaeda.

line in the eastern Yemeni province of Shabwa. This is the third attack on oil and gas facilities in the country within a month, and the second against the same pipeline. Ansar al-Sharia militant group has claimed responsibility for the blast in response to the killing of an al-Qaeda leader in the central Maarib province.

The pipeline transports LNG from Maarib to an export facility at Balhaf. The export terminal is led by French oil major Total with three South Korea companies holding stakes. Yemen’s oil and gas pipelines have been repeatedly attacked since anti-government protests broke out in January 2011. 

Yemen is a small crude oil producer with a daily output of about 260,000 barrels per day but disruptions have led to a decline in its exports.

Yemen's Sanaa International Airport was reopened today after one-day closure due to alleged threats by the dismissed air force chief to shoot down planes. Security officials said the air traffic completely resumed and the situation at the airport is normal. The airport was shut down early yesterday, after aviation officials received threats by the fired air force chief, Mohammed Saleh al-Ahmar, to shoot down planes in response to his dismissal.

Late yesterday, in a statement, the general, who is half brother of former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, denied links to the closure of airport and said that he welcomes President Abd- Rabbu Mansour Hadi's decision to remove him from the air force.

Arab Foreign Ministers assemble in Baghdad to discuss the developments in the region over the next two days in the run up to the Arab Summit on Thursday. Syria would be on top of agenda along with developments in Iran, Yemen, Sudan and the repercussions of Arab spring in the region. The Arab heads of States join formally for the Arab Summit on Thursday; the first such meeting in Iraq after a gap of two decades. 

AIR West Asia Correspondent has reports that after years of war, isolation and American occupation, Iraq prepares to hold the summit of Arab leaders in Baghdad. Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari said the summit is the most important event in the region in the wake of tensions in the region around Syria, Iran and Gulf states. Syrian crisis will be on the top of agenda. It would be a tightrope walk for Baghdad to show whether it is with its neighbouring Arab nations or with their arch rival Iran. The impact of Arab Spring, developments in Iran, Yemen , Sudan and the economy would be in focus during the summit. 

For the Iraqi leadership, the summit is an opportunity to set aside their sectarian divide and reassert itself as a political player in the Arab world. Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki has said no efforts would be spared to make the summit a huge success

Yemeni President Mansur Hadi arrived in Riyadh to hold talks with the Saudi King Abdullah on Monday. The two leaders discussed bilateral and regional issues. The visit comes at a time when Hadi has taken charge from the former President Saleh and political uncertainty continues in Yemen. Saudi Arabia played a crucial role in forging the Gulf-brokered accord that paved the way for Saleh's departure.

The oil-rich kingdom has been a major source of foreign aid for its impoverished neighbour, and is due to host the next "Friends of Yemen" meeting of donor countries in Riyadh on 23rd May

Amnesty International says there was an alarming surge in the number of executions carried out in a small number of countries in 2011. The group said the steepest rise of 50 per cent was in four countries in West Asia - Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia and Yemen. Amnesty said China continues to execute thousands of prisoners each year although the exact figures are a state secret.