EL-ARISH, Egypt (Agencies) -- Unidentified assailants blew up the Egyptian pipeline that carries gas to Israel and Jordan early on Monday, starting a fire and disrupting the flow of the gas, security officials said.

The blast took place in the northern part of the Sinai Peninsula, near the Mediterranean coastal city of El-Arish, which is 30 miles (50 kilometers) from Israel's border.
The Egyptian officials had no further details and there were no immediate reports of casualties. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.
The blast is the third to hit the strategic pipeline since an uprising overthrew Egypt's longtime leader Hosni Mubarak in February.
No one claimed responsibility for Monday's explosion. Disgruntled Bedouin tribesmen in the area have been blamed for attacking the pipeline in the past.
This is the third attacks since the beginning of the popular uprising in Egypt in February this year. The most recent, said by Egyptian security authorities to have been caused by men armed with machine guns caused the ill fated pipeline to blow apart again with “an explosive boom” that frightened people living in the vicinity and resulted in a “plume of fire” after the saboteurs, who had arrived in a small truck, forced security forces to leave and then planted explosive charges. Not being able to prevent this kind of attack doesn’t bode well for anyone who thinks about investing in Egypt’s future, even in renewable like solar energy.
This third incident, already reported in numerous media sites like CNN may be the beginning of the end for Egyptian energy shipments to both Israel and Jordan. It also begs the question at just how effective Egyptian security forces are at securing its country’s assets.
Jordan, which itself may be on the brink of a popular uprising against the ruling Hashimite family, is still planning to construct a nuclear power plant to supply some of its energy needs. Canada, France, Japan, and Russia are interested in bidding for the tender to construct the 1,100 MW nuclear plant in Jordan, now said to be slated to be built outside Amman.
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