Saboteurs Attack Gas Pipeline Near Israel-Egypt Border

Egyptian state television says there has been an explosion at a gas pipeline near Israel and that a huge fire is raging along the pipeline in the northern Sinai Peninsula.

The blast and the fire erupted Saturday morning near the Egyptian town of El Arish. Residents say they heard the sound of an explosion, and that massive flames shot into the air.

Egyptian state TV quoted an unnamed official who described the situation as "very dangerous," adding that explosions were continuing from one spot to another" along the pipeline. The source went on to say that the Egyptian army had shut down the main source of gas supplying the damaged pipeline.

Egypt's state TV said the explosion was the result of an attack, but provided no further details. The report could not be confirmed independently.

The pipeline is said to supply about a third of Israel's gas.

The blast went off at a gas compressor station near the Sinai town of el-Arish, several hundred yards (meters) away from the local airport, witnesses said. From the compressor station, gas pipelines run to Jordan and Israel.

El-Arish is about 44 miles (70 kilometers) from the Gaza Strip.

There were no immediate reports of casualties and it was not known if gas exports to Israel and Jordan have been discontinued because of the explosion.

The gas pipeline has come under attack in the past.

Bedouin tribesmen of the Sinai Peninsula attempted to blow up the pipeline last July as tensions intensified between them and the Egyptian government, which they accuse of discrimination and of ignoring their plight.

Neighboring Israel relies on the gas pipeline to meet its energy needs and spends billions to bring natural gas from Egypt.

The SITE intelligence group, which monitors Islamist websites, reported that jihadists had issued online posts urging Sinai Bedouin tribes to launch attacks against the pipeline. SITE quoted one Islamist website author who wrote: "To our brothers, the Bedouins of Sinai, the heroes of Islam, strike with an iron fist, because this is a chance to stop the supply to the Israelites."