8 Egyptian soldiers killed as car bomb explodes in Isis-plagued northern Sinai

A car bomb attack at a security checkpoint in Egypt's Sinai killed at least eight soldiers on Thursday (24 November). The Egyptian army said that three attackers were also killed by soldiers in fighting that followed the explosion.

No group has taken responsibility for the attack, but the army said that the local affiliate of Islamic State (Isis) is reported to be leading an insurgency in the region.

An army spokesman said in a statement that a group of "armed terrorists" targeted one of the security checkpoints in northern Sinai. However, he did not clarify where exactly in the city the attack took place.

"A car bomb attack, the clashes that ensued and a blast targeting one of the vehicles left eight members of the armed forces dead," the spokesman was quoted by The Times of Israel as saying. "The search operation is ongoing... in the bid to eradicate the remaining jihadists," he added.

While the army said the blast occurred in a vehicle, Reuters quoted security sources as saying that the attackers fired two rocket propelled grenades at the checkpoint – located south of the city in al-Arish – and then groups of masked men driving on three pick-up trucks opened fire of soldiers at the checkpoint.

Authorities in Egypt are yet to confirm the attack.