Tongues of flame rising from the site prior to the bombing of the Egyptian gas pipeline (French)
Egyptian security forces announced that the tube that carries Egyptian gas to Israel and Jordan was attacked again in the early hours of Thursday, for the seventh time since February last year.
Quoted by Agence France-Presse quoted a security source said the blast occurred about 60 km from the city of El-Arish, North Sinai peninsula. The source said that witnesses had seen armed men in the place, but could not say whether there were any casualties.
The flames were seen rising to great heights, and headed for fire trucks and ambulance to the place of the bombing of the gas pipeline, as I moved a large force of police, military and security leaders in the Sinai to the site, and authorities are conducting preliminary investigations to determine the circumstances of the bombing.
And deliver the export of Egyptian gas to Israel's opposition in Egypt for years. Opponents say that Egypt is the gas exported to Israel for less than market price, a price fixed in the contract will continue for many years.
They also said that the ousted government of President Hosni Mubarak violated legal procedures in the contract which is to offer the contract to the Council of People's Assembly (Parliament) for discussion and ratification or amendment.
After the fall of Mubarak in a popular revolution in February transmit to the Minister of PetroleumAnd Mineral Resources Sameh Fahmi, the former and six of the leaders of energy in Egypt to the Criminal Court on charges of causing the loss of the country hundreds of millions of dollars because of the contract. Is under Mubarak and businessman Hussein Salem, close to him, who fled to Spain for the same charge along with other charges.
Egypt was announced last month that pumping natural gas across the line afterRepair the damage it suffered in the previous explosion.
This tube and subjected to six attacks since February last, which led to a cessation of pumping gas to Israel and Jordan. And also foiled several attacks in recent months.
The attack comes despite the heavily guarded by the army and police, and the development of early warning gas stations that were destroyed before.
The Egyptian authorities announced several times for procedures to enhance the protection of these facilities and tried to arrest the perpetrators of these attacks.
Source: Agencies