Militants say locals behind Chevron pipeline attack

LAGOS (Reuters) - Armed Nigerian youths were behind an attack on an oil pipeline operated by U.S. major Chevron on Thursday, a militant group said on Saturday.

The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) said it was contacted by youths claiming responsibility for the sabotage of Chevron's Abiteye-Olero crude pipeline.

"MEND wishes to commend these patriotic youths who we are now empowering with more powerful explosives and new techniques to destroy additional pipelines inside delta state," the group said in an email to Reuters. (Reporting by Nick Tattersall; Writing by Randy Fabi)