Gas pipeline between Egypt and Jordan hit by explosion

An explosion hit an Egyptian pipeline on Saturday in the lawless Sinai Peninsula following a series of attacks the last several days on security checkpoints, state TV and witnesses said.

It was not immediately clear who was responsible for the pipeline and checkpoint attacks or if they were in reaction to the Egyptian army's overthrow of Islamist President Mohammed Mursi on Wednesday.

The pipeline, which supplies gas to Jordan, has been attacked more than 10 times since former autocratic president Hosni Mubarak was ousted in 2011 during the Arab Spring uprisings.

Five security officers were killed at their checkpoints in Sinai on Friday and four other checkpoints were attacked on Saturday.

A priest was killed at one checkpoint by a group of militants, according to security sources.

Egypt has struggled to control the security in the peninsula since Mubarak's departure. Hard-line Islamist groups took advantage of the collapse of security that followed and launched many attacks on army and police troops there.