Egyptian gas pipeline to Israel attacked

An Egyptian pipeline supplying gas to Israel and Jordan has been hit with two explosions, making it the seventh assault on the energy route since February.

A first blast occurred around 1:00 a.m. Thursday (2300 GMT Wednesday) 40 kilometers west of the town of al-Arish in the north of the Sinai peninsula, AFP quoted an Egyptian security source as saying.

Witnesses said they had also seen armed men at the scene of explosion. A second explosion took place near a pumping station in the same sector, causing a blaze.

Previous attacks had interrupted gas supplies to both Israel and Jordan several times, but it was not immediately clear what impact the latest attack would have on the energy route.