The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) announced it had shut off a pipeline valve attacked by Niger Delta Avengers in Oruk Anam Local Government Area, Akwa Ibom State. The Nigerian state oil firm said the pipeline had to be closed in order to contain a gas leak caused by an explosion, Reuters reported.

The Niger Delta Avengers has claimed responsibility for blowing up an NNPC-owned pipeline, according to All Africa, citing community leaders’ testimonies.

The group has previously attacked pipelines and facilities operated by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), as well as local subsidiaries of Shell, Chevron, and Eni.

The militant group in Nigeria’s oil-rich Niger Delta region has conducted a series of attacks on oil facilities in the southern oil region in the last few months, which has slashed country’s crude production to an almost 30-year low, according to the International Energy Agency.