Assailants on 30 July launched rocket-propelled grenades at a cooling system for the pipeline delivering natural gas from Egypt to Israel, blowing it up.

It is the fifth attack on the pipeline since President Hosni Mubarak was swept from power by popular unrest. There were no casualties.

There are widespread allegations of corruption over a gas deal struck with Israel under his rule, and the government has tried to renegotiate a price for the gas with Israel and Jordan, which also receives Egyptian gas through the pipeline.

Previous attacks on 27 April and on 5 February had disrupted deliveries for several weeks.