TV: Yemen foils attacks on oil refinery

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SANAA, Sept. 15 (Xinhua) -- Security forces in Yemen on Friday foiled attempts by unknown gunmen to blow up two oil refineries, killing at least four bombers, the pan-Arabic al-Jazeera TV channel reported. In the two separate attempts, the gunmen were planning to carry out suicide attacks using four cars, the Qatar-based TV channel said, without giving more details. Four "terrorists" and one security guard were killed in the attack, other media reports said, but no official confirmation is available at the moment. Security sources said that the gunmen's targets were an oil refinery in the northeast province of Mareb and an oil storage facility at the Dubba Port in Haramut province. Yemen, a small oil producer, is due to hold presidential and municipal elections on Sept. 20. Recently, the country has witnessed growing instances of abduction of foreigners, carried out by disgruntled tribesmen to press the government to make concession on their demands. The Yemeni government, embarrassed by the frequent abductions and unrest, has vowed to crack down on attacks by al-Qaida-linked militants and kidnappings by tribesmen.