A huge explosion went off next to the governorate headquarters in Al-Arish, North Sinai, state news agency MENA reported on Tuesday. The explosion was caused by two mortar shells that landed in the vicinity of the governorate headquarters. One fell next to the zoo and another hit an abandoned house. No injuries were reported. According to MENA, the explosion was followed by heavy gunfire from the side of security forces. Police and army personnel are currently searching the area for other explosives. North Sinai has been on high alert after a militant attack on an army checkpoint in late October left 31 soldiers dead. Residents of Rafah on the border between Egypt and the Gaza Strip have begun evacuating their homes after an official decision to form a buffer zone. Officials say the zone will protect Egypt's borders and eliminate smuggling tunnels, following a rise in militant attacks on police and army sites in North Sinai. http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/114768.aspx
