SANAA, Yemen (AP) — A series of attacks on power lines have left Yemen in the dark without electricity.

The country’s Electricity Ministry said in a statement Tuesday that assailants attacked power lines located along the road linking the capital, Sanaa, with Marib, immediately causing the power outage early Monday. The ministry said the whole country of 23 million people was without power after the attack.

Yemen has suffered repeated power outages in recent years. Many depend on diesel generators for power.

Residents and witnesses say gas stations in Sanaa have long lines after fuel trucks also came under attack over the past days.

Yemen is the Arab world’s most impoverished nation. It has been suffering from a decade-long al-Qaida insurgency, as well as tribal and sectarian conflicts.

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