NATO ships patrol the Strait responsible for 65 per cent of West's oil

Plot involves blowing up tankers with explosives or running aground cargo

Thousands of gallons of oil pass through

Terror chiefs have instructed militants to target oil tankers passing through the Gibraltar Strait on their way to the west in a bid to wreak havoc on the economy, experts claim.

Jihadis have been told to sabotage the journey of thousands of tankers either with explosives or by hijacking cargo ships and run them aground.

The plans were revealed in a new al-Qaeda magazine, Resurgence, which also described British oil workers in the Middle East as at risk.

Terrorists are reportedly planning to target oil tankers and cargo ships passing through the Gibraltar Strait used by thousands of maritime vessels every year (file image)

More than 100,000 ships pass through the Straight between Morocco and Europe every year including an estimated 5,000 oil tankers headed for the West.

'This is not the first time threats have been made to target merchant ships passing through the Strait, a Gibraltar government source told the Sunday Express.

Alongside threats to the Rock of Gibraltar, al-Qaeda chiefs will instruct fighters to sabotage tankers at the Strait of Hormuz, between Oman and Iran, and in parts of Egypt.

While always a fragile operation, the transportation of oil overseas has become increasingly threatened by terrorists in recent years.

The Gibraltar Strait is responsible for the transporting of thousands of gallons of oil to the West

Following the atrocities of September 11, NATO launched Operation Active Endeavour as part of its anti-terrorism mandates.

It is not the first time al-Qaeda, whose leader Osama Bin Laden was killed by US forces in 2011, has attempted to target oil tankers

Thousands of NATO ships patrol the Gibraltar Strait as well as other 'choke' points in contributing countries to thwart terrorist activity.

A statement on the Treaty's website said: 'Keeping the Mediterranean’s busy trade routes open and safe is critical to NATO’s security.

'In terms of energy alone, some 65 per cent of the oil and natural gas consumed in Western Europe pass through the Mediterranean each year, with major pipelines connecting Libya to Italy and Morocco to Spain.

'For this reason, NATO ships are systematically carrying out preparatory route surveys in “choke” points as well as in important passages and harbours throughout the Mediterranean.'

Last year Yemeni authorities claimed to have foiled an elaborate plot by the terrorist group to take control of its ports and of the al-Dhaba oil terminal.

It came after a suspected US drone killed seven militants in the country last August.

Part of their plan reportedly involved jihadis dressing up in Yemeni army uniforms to infiltrate the Canadian-owned al-Dhaba oil terminal, responsible for a significant portion of the country's oil exports.

They were also rumoured to have planned to blow up oil pipelines.