Mexico beefs up security around oil pipelines

Mexico's military is being deployed to strategic oil and gas operations throughout the country following recent bombings.

A left-leaning guerrilla group known as EPR is claiming responsibility for the strategic attacks, which shut down oil and gas supplies to a number of major factories.

Officials from Mexico's state-owned oil and gas monopoly Petroleos Mexicanos, or Pemex, said an explosion Tuesday and two more last week affected different sections of the same pipeline extending from central Mexico City to Guadalajara. The company sent 150 workers to repair the line.

Pemex added two extra helicopters and is consulting with police and the country's Defence Ministry on how best to protect the 14,000 kilometres of oil pipelines, said Reuters.

Police have also been deployed to Mexico City to guard strategic locations, said the report.

No one was hurt in the bombings, but several international companies, including Honda, Hershey's and Nissan temporarily shut down their factories.

According to a message posted on the internet, the rebels are vowing to continue their campaign against the government of President Felipe Calderon.

The EPR said its members had planted explosives on the pipeline. Mexican security officials on Tuesday confirmed that the pipeline had been attacked, but did not identify suspects or say whether explosives were involved.

In a statement late Tuesday, the EPR said it was waging a "prolonged people's war" against "the anti-people government."