An explosion rocked a natural gas terminal near Egypt's border with Israel on Wednesday sending flames shooting into the air and forcing the shutdown of the country's export pipeline, said security officials. The pipeline supplies gas to Israel and Jordan.
"An unknown armed gang attacked the gas pipeline," a security source told Reuters, adding that the flow of gas to Israel and Jordan had been hit.
Authorities closed the main source of gas supplying the pipeline and are working to extinguish the fire," the source said, adding there was a tower of flame at the scene.
It was the second attack in the past month on the al-Sabil terminal near the town of El-Arish just 30 miles (50 kilometers) from the border with Israel. On March 27 gunmen planted explosives at the terminal, which failed to detonate.
The valves controlling the flow of gas from the main terminal in Port Said on the Mediterranean coast were shut down to stifle the flames, which sent residents scurrying from their homes. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.
An earlier attack on the same pipeline, located south of the North Sinai town of el-Arish, was staged on Feb. 5 during an 18-day-uprising that forced Hosni Mubarak from power on Feb. 11.
REUTERS
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