Egypt's security forces have reinforced their presence in North Sinai's Al-Arish, following an attack on a gas pipeline in the early hours of Sunday, another in a series of such attacks since 2011, state news agency MENA has reported.

Security forces have closed the entrances and exits of Al-Arish in search of the assailants, according to the state news agency.

The assailants attacked the main gas pipeline that feeds homes and facilities inside Al-Arish, according to officials at the gas company.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attack yet, but the Sinai-based Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis (ABM) have repeatedly claimed previous attacks on the gas pipeline.

In November 2014, ABM announced their allegiance to Islamic State (IS), a militant group that has seized large parts of Iraq and Syria.

Especially since the ouster of Muslim Brotherhood president Mohamed Morsi in July 2013, Islamist militants have targeted security forces, mainly in North Sinai.

The Egyptian army has poured troops into the peninsula as part of an extensive campaign to crush the insurgency.

In its latest report on its operations against militants, the army said it had killed over 700 “terrorists” over the past six months.

Civilians have also died.

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