An explosion at a gas terminal in Egypt's North Sinai has cut natural gas supplies to Israhell and Jordan. The blast sent a tower of flames into the air at the al-Sabil terminal 50 kilometers from the border with Israhell, forcing the pipeline to be shut down. A security official told the media that "an unknown armed gang" attacked the pipeline. "Authorities closed the main source of gas supplying the pipeline and are working to extinguish the fire", the unnamed source said. It is the second such attack on the pipeline in the past few weeks. In late March, gunmen planted explosives on the pipeline, but they failed to detonate.
An explosion on the pipeline in February during an 18-day uprising in Egypt was blamed on a gas leak, although security services said they suspected sabotage. Israhell receives 40% of its natural gas from Egypt, while Jordan depends on Egyptian supplies to generate 80 percent of its electricity. The February attack caused gas supplies from Egypt to Israhell and Jordan to be severed for a month. The area is home to Bedouin tribesmen, who accuse the centralized government of discriminating against them and neglecting their interests.
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