An explosion at a gas terminal in Egypt’s North Sinai has cut natural gas supplies to Israel and Jordan, Aljazeera reported on Wednesday.
The blast sent a tower of flames into the air at the al-Sabil terminal 50 kilometers from the border with Israel, forcing the pipeline to be shut down.
A security official told Reuters that “an unknown armed gang” attacked the pipeline.
“Authorities closed the main source of gas supplying the pipeline and are working to extinguish the fire,” the unnamed source said.
It is the second such attack on the pipeline in the past few weeks. In late March, gunmen planted explosives on the pipeline, but they failed to detonate.
An explosion on the pipeline in February during an 18-day uprising in Egypt was blamed on a gas leak, although security services said they suspected sabotage.
Israel receives 40 percent of its natural gas from Egypt, while Jordan depends on Egyptian supplies to generate 80 percent of its electricity.
The February attack caused gas supplies from Egypt to Israel and Jordan to be severed for a month.
The area is home to Bedouin tribesmen, who accuse the centralized government of discriminating against them and neglecting their interests.
MOSCOW, April 27 (RIA Novosti )