Egypt militants bomb gas line to Jordan
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}File picture of a fire at al-Arish in the north of the Sinai peninsula following an attack on a gas pipeline. Militants in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula bombed a gas pipeline to Jordan on Sunday, witnesses said, amid a surge in attacks on police and soldiers since Islamist president Mohamed Morsi's removal. (AFP/File)
Militants in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula bombed a gas pipeline to Jordan on Sunday, witnesses said, amid a surge in attacks on police and soldiers since Islamist president Mohamed Morsi's removal from office.
Witnesses told AFP the blast took place near the North Sinai provincial capital of El-Arish, scene of major disturbances since Morsi's overthrow by the military on Wednesday.
On Friday, armed Morsi supporters stormed the provincial headquarters, raising the black banner of Al-Qaeda-inspired militants, an AFP correspondent reported.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A Jordanian government official confirmed that gas supplies to the energy-poor kingdom were cut.
"The gas supplies to Jordan stopped due to the attack," the official told state-run Petra news agency.
"The Egyptian authorities have informed us that they are currently evaluating the situation and the damage," he added without elaborating.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Egyptian gas covers 80 percent of electricity generation in Jordan, which imports 95 percent of its energy needs.
Since veteran strongman Hosni Mubarak's overthrow in a popular uprising in early 2011, militants in the Sinai have repeatedly sabotaged the gas pipeline, which also supplies Israel.
But Sunday's bombing was the first reported in almost a year.