Egyptian security forces seize fuel bound

Egyptian forces on Saturday seized two vehicles in the Sinai peninsula with fuel destined for the Gaza Strip, security sources said. The vehicles had broken through a checkpoint between the city of El-Arish and Sheikh Zweid before Egyptian security fired at their tires, bringing the vehicles to a halt. One of the vehicles was carrying 1,100 liters of fuel in nine barrels and 10 jerrycans. The other vehicle contained 900 liters of petrol destined for sale on the black market. The drivers admitted to police that they were delivering the fuel to smugglers who would transport it into the Gaza Strip. Last week, Egyptian security forces seized four vehicles transporting unlicensed fuel in the northern Sinai. In early May, security forces confiscated a truck in the Sinai carrying 10 thousand liters of fuel headed to tunnels under the border with Gaza Strip. Egypt moved in February to shut down fuel deliveries to Gaza via the tunnel network -- used to bring goods into the blockaded coastal strip -- sparking a fuel shortage that caused widespread blackouts. Officials have already agreed to stave off the electricity blackouts by upgrading the sole power plant, a project due for completion this month.