Masked terrorists attacked the Sinai-Israeli gas pipeline on Friday shortly after Egyptian intelligence officials warned of pre-election terror. It was the eighth attack on the pipeline and came only a few days after supplies were restored following an attack two weeks ago. The explosion did not disrupt the flow of gas because the pipeline was undergoing routine maintenance work, and there was no gas in the pipe at the time of the explosion. Egyptian sources said there are approximately 2,500 terrorists in the Sinai Peninsula, which has become more lawless since the ouster of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak earlier this year. Terrorists are planning, "to take advantage of Tahrir Square demonstrations on Friday to carry out large-scale attacks against Egyptian security forces, according to Egyptian officials quoted by Globes . They added, “If the need arises, military helicopters will intervene in one of the northern Sinai areas." A large-scale terrorist attacks or counterterrorist operation could seriously affect Monday’s elections to the parliament, where the radical Muslim Brotherhood expects to win large support and possibly a plurality. Israel depends on Egyptian gas for its power stations, and it will take at least another two years before the gas fields off the Israeli coast can begin supplying Israel with gas.
