Yemen has lost about $2bn in revenues from attacks on oil and gas pipelines, according to the country’s Oil and Minerals Minister Hisham Sharaf.

Sabotage attacks by Islamic militant groups and disgruntled tribes, which have crippled Yemen’s oil and gas sector, have largely been carried out in the central province of Marib.

On a visit to Marib, Sharaf said the government needs to help to develop the economy of the province and address the grievances of the local tribes, the Yemen Post reported.

Late last week, Yemen LNG Company resumed normal operations following repairs on a pipeline transporting natural gas from Marib to its liquefied natural gas (LNG) plant in Shabwa.

The 38-inch gas pipeline was shut down after an explosion on 26 April, which the government claimed was carried out by tribes linked to Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).