CAIRO: The head of the Egyptian Company for Natural Gas (GASCO) Magdy Tawfik said on Tuesday that the continued attacks on Egypt's gas pipelines only hurt the country and not the countries the gas is supplied to. “Egypt's gas supplies to Israel were suspended two months ago,” said Tawfik. An attack on early Tuesday morning near the northern Sinai Peninsula city of al-Arish left gas supplies to the city's electricity station inoperable as well as to cement factories, houses, trade facilities and suspended gas exports to Jordan, he said. Armed gunmen opened fire on a gas pipeline installation 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
