An explosion in the Egyptian city of Rafah near Gaza Strip destroyed part of a security building on Saturday night, Al Arabiya reported today.
According to the report, no one has yet come forward to claim responsibility for the attack, which so far has not resulted in any casualties. Large numbers of security forces have been deployed at the scene of the explosion, cordoning off the area and searching for possible explosives.
While the cause of the blast was not immediately known, there has been a sharp rise in tension between the Egyptian government and Islamist militants in the Sinai peninsula in recent months. Jihadists have exploited the sparse military presence mandated by the peace treaty with Israel to attack Egyptian and Israeli forces in this area.
The explosion has come at a bad time for Egypt's president, Mohammed Morsi.
A decree issued by Morsi on Thursday, granting himself extensive new powers, sparked widespread protests. Egypt's most senior judges and over 20 Egyptian rights groups have publicly condemned the leader's new powers.
