Huge fire breaks out at state oil refinery in Yemen's Aden, no casualties: official

ADEN, Yemen, Jan. 11 -- A Huge fire broke out on Friday evening at the state-owned oil refinery company in Yemen's southern port city of Aden, causing no casualties, a local official told Xinhua.

"A huge fire erupted just minutes following an explosion that targeted one of the company's oil tanks," the official, also a worker of the refinery, said on condition of anonymity.

"A sabotage operation could be behind the explosion that caused the fire at the refinery's oil tank," he added.

Work was in progress to contain the fire, with no casualties reported, according to the official.

Local residents also confirmed to Xinhua that huge flames were seen at the refinery.

Considered Yemen's temporary capital city, Aden is where the Saudi-backed Yemeni government has based itself since 2015.

The impoverished Arab country has been locked into a civil war since late 2014, when Shiite Houthi rebels overran much of the country and seized all northern provinces, including the capital Sanaa.