(RTTNews) - Unidentified gunmen have attacked and blown up a section
of an Egyptian pipeline carrying natural gas to neighboring Israel and
Jordan, marking the thirteenth such attack on the pipeline after the
previous regime of Hosni Mubarak was toppled by a popular uprising.
According
to Egyptian officials, the gas pipeline was attacked near the town of
al-Arish north of the Sinai desert Monday evening. Witness say plumes of
thick black smoke and fire from the explosion-hit pipeline could be
seen from as far as 30 miles away.
Monday's explosion reportedly
happened near the section of the pipeline that was blown up by militants
last month. Following that attack, gas supplies to Jordan and Israel
were restored only about three days ago.
Egypt, which is estimated
to have natural gas reserves of about 62 trillion cubic feet, exports
gas to Israel and Jordan. While Jordan depends on Egyptian gas for
generating almost 80 per cent of its electricity, about 40 per cent of
Israel's gas requirements are met by Egypt.
However, Egypt's
current military rulers have indicated that they would soon re-consider
supplying gas to Israel and Jordan at previously agreed prices. The move
came amid allegations that the toppled Mubarak regime had conspired
with a local businessman to sell gas to Israel at reduced rates with the
intention of defrauding the exchequer of several millions of dollars.
The
developments come just over a year after Mubarak was forced to step
down from office on February 11, 2011, following mass protests across
the country against his 30-year rule, handing over control of the
country to the military.
Mubarak, his two sons and about a dozen
former Ministers and businessmen with links to the ousted regime have
since been detained and are facing investigations over a number of
allegations ranging from corruption and money laundering to abuse of
authority and squandering state wealth.
by RTT Staff Writer
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