ISIS claims Sunday’s attack on gas pipeline between Egypt & Israel

The Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) has reportedly claimed that it attacked a gas pipeline between Egypt and Israel on Sunday night. The gas flow between the two states remained undisrupted. Local sources told AFP that the gas pipeline targeted was a domestic line that connects to a power station in the provincial capital El-Arish, powering homes and factories in central Sinai.

IS in the Sinai took responsibility for the attack on Monday afternoon, saying that it had detonated a number of explosives next to a pipeline and causing damage to it. The masked gunmen drove a four-wheel drive before detonating explosives in the attack, carried out around 80km west of El-Arish, according to sources.

Some media reports in Egypt and Israel said, however, the section of pipeline hit was part of Israel’s Leviathan offshore field that connects the two countries. The claims were denied by the Leviathan consortium.

Last week, the terrorist group vowed major attacks against Israel in the coming days. Egypt’s army and police launched a nationwide operation against militants focused on North Sinai in February 2018.