A blast hit the Al Arish-Al Qantara natural gas pipeline in Sinai Peninsula on Thursday, witnesses and local authorities said. Witnesses said flames and thick plumes of smoke rose from the pipeline, describing the scene from vantage points in and around the city of al-Arish. North Sinai local authorities said in a statement the fire had been extinguished and it had not affected gas supplies. The Al Arish-Al Qantara natural gas pipeline is one connecting Israel and Egypt that is often targeted by terrorists. ISIS have made similar claims about attacking pipelines in the Sinai Peninsula in the past, including in February, citing the reason that it was related to Israel.