CAIRO: Armed gunmen opened fire on a gas pipeline installation near the northern Sinai Peninsula town of al-Arish on Tuesday early morning, security sources said. The attack overnight left at least one person injured. The attack is the 6th such attack on the natural gas pipeline to Israel, Jordan and Lebanon this year. According to witnesses in the area, the installation was attacked by three armed people before an explosion rocked the area. The recent attack is likely to increase tension over gas deals with the Israel and Jordan, both of whom have been complaining that the shortage in gas is adversely affecting their ability to supply energy to their respective populations. Egypt has already begun renegotiating a new deal with Amman and could have a new deal completed by the end of the year. Like the previous attacks, no group has claimed responsibility, but Egyptian officials have accused Bedouin groups in northern Sinai of likely being behind the attack. BM
