Bomb attacks on oil installations earlier this month caused Iran to lose thousands of barrels of oil output, according to a report published by the Mehr News Agency on Saturday.
Five oil wells outside Ahwaz City were closed down due to damage caused by the explosions. Each well produced around 1,000 barrels of oil per day for export. The amount lost represents a fraction of the production in the oil-rich but restive province of Khuzestan, which is the homeland of some five million Ahwazi Arabs.
The news agency blamed the attacks, which were reported by the British Ahwazi Friendship Society, on the "Khakegh-e-Arab" group. It claims that guards and workers protecting the oil installations co-operated with the group. The installations will take another three months to bring them back to full capacity.
The attacks come amid rising unrest among Ahwazi Arabs, which could threaten oil output in Iran, OPEC's second-largest producer.
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keywords: ahvaz ahwaz ahwazi arabistan khuzestan khuzistan khuzestani arab arabistan iran iranian human rights security oil news ahmadinejad ethnic cleansing
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