Saboteurs blew up a pipeline running through Egypt's North Sinai today that supplies gas to Israel and Jordan, a security source told Reuters.
"An unknown armed gang attacked the gas pipeline near Arish city," the security source said, 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.
An earlier attack on the same pipeline, located south of the North Sinai town of el-Arish, was staged on February 5th during an 18-day-uprising that forced Hosni Mubarak from power on February 11th.
On Saturday, Egypt's public prosecutor ordered former energy minister Sameh Fahmy and six other officials to stand trial on charges of squandering public funds related to the natural gas deal with Israel.
The decision, part of an investigation into corruption during the 30-year-rule of Mr Mubarak, said the deal in question caused Egypt losses worth more than $714 million (€486 million) and enabled a local businessman to make financial profits.
Israel's infrastructure minister said the pipeline attack, the second in recent months, is proof the country needs to find alternatives to Egyptian gas.
Israel gets 40 to 45 per cent of its natural gas from Egypt, a deal built on their landmark 1979 peace accord. It mostly uses coal for power generation but also has its own gas and can also substitute with diesel and fuel oil.
Reuters