Officials said the vandals used explosives planted beneath the line, and detonated them, destroying a large section.

The move prompted the Egyptian Ministry of the Interior to dispatch a security crew charged with tracing down the group, now labeled fugitives, sources said.

A strengthened police presence was observed near the gas line, with a parallel force said to be operating in the northern Sinai, with Egyptian officers reportedly conducting raids on Bedouin homes and camps.

Egyptian officials said the explosives were planted following increased tension between the Bedouin community and Egyptian security.