Cairo: At least 11 Egyptian troops were killed and five others injured in clashes with terrorists in Sinai, the army said in a statement.
The clashes took place as the troops foiled an attack by a group of terrorists on a water pumping station in western Sinai, Xinhua news agency quoted military spokesman Gharib Abdel-Hafez as saying in the statement.
The victims comprised 10 soldiers and an officer, according to the spokesman.
Although the exact location was not specified in the statement, state-run Al-Ahram news website reported that the clashes took place at the checkpoint of “the East Canal Water Lifting Station”.
Egypt has been combating terrorism in the northern part of the Sinai Peninsula over the past decade and the country managed to greatly limit terrorist activities in the peninsula.
The terrorists in Sinai are mostly loyal to the Islamic State terror group group.
Meanwhile, President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi offered his “sincere condolences” to the families of the 11 victims.
“I assure you that these treacherous terrorist operations will not undermine the will and determination of the children of this nation and its armed forces to continue uprooting terrorism,” he said in a social media post.
Sisi also praised the “courage and sacrifice” of the Egyptian soldiers in fighting terrorism.
Egypt’s parliament and several ministers also condemned the attack.