ADEN (AFP) - Armed tribesmen seized control of Yemen's only gas export terminal Tuesday after an army unit assigned to protect it surrendered, a military source said.

The tribesmen decided to organise their own protection for the Balhaf plant, operated by Yemen LNG, in which France's Total has an almost 40 percent interest, the source said.

Yemen LNG said Tuesday it had stopped production at the southern terminal due to a "force majeure".