Egyptian Pipeline Attacked by Militants
In the first bombing of the pipeline in over a year, the flow of natural gas was disrupted from the Sinai Peninsula to Jordan. The attack came after Egyptian president, now former president, Mohammed Morsi was forced from power last Wednesday by Egypt’s military. Morsi, who supports, and is supported by, the Muslim Brotherhood, was elected to head the Egyptian government only one year ago after former President Hosni Mubarak was ousted from power as a result of the “Arab Spring” uprisings in early 2011.
The attack on the pipeline took place just south of the Sinai town of El Arish. The pipeline was attacked several times from early 2011 until a year ago, during the violence that forced Mubarak from power. The pipeline bombing also follows attacks on the regional airport and at security checkpoints in recent days.
No casualties were reported as a result of the bombing, which was perpetrated by unidentified militants who detonated explosives, causing a fire and damaging the pipeline. The Egyptian army has declared a state of emergency in certain areas along the Suez shipping route after the attack on the airport in the vicinity caused fear that oil exports would be disrupted. The price of crude oil rose as a result of the uncertainty.