Gas pipeline in Egypt's Arish bombed by gunmen

CAIRO - A gas pipeline in Egypt's South Arish in Sinai peninsula was bombed by masked gunmen on Monday, a local security official source told Xinhua.

The bombing occurred in the Gehad Tabel region in southwest Arish, 300 meters away from the ring road. Fire caused by the bombing is not extinguished yet.

No casualties were reported in the explosion.

According to some eyewitnesses, a group of masked gunmen driving two cars bombed the pipeline using the same techniques as last times.

Right now there is no group claiming responsibility, but the sources attributed the attack to the Jihad movement.

This was the 13th explosion targeting the pipeline since February 2011.

Egypt started an experimental pumping to Israel and Jordan in February after a disruption caused by several attacks of the pipeline, Ahram website reported.

The natural gas deal between Egypt and Israel was signed in 2005 at a price that critics said was far below the market value.

Prior to the repeated explosions of the pipeline, Egypt provided 80 percent of Jordan's natural gas for power and about 40 percent of Israel's for the same purpose.