Islamic State has claimed responsiblilty for an attack on a security checkpoint in Egypt’s North Sinai province which killed at least eight people on Monday, the group’s Amaq news agency said on Tuesday.
“A surprise attack launched by Islamic State fighters on a checkpoint west of Arish city in North Sinai followed the detonation of a car bomb parked by an Islamic State fighter,” Amaq reported.
Read: Militants attack checkpoint in Egypt’s Sinai, killing 8
The interior ministry on Monday said the militants targeted the checkpoint in the city of el-Arish with a garbage truck filled with explosives but that security forces killed the driver and safely detonated the truck bomb. The ministry released footage showing an attacker driving a white garbage truck and then slumping over after being shot.
It said that seven police officers and one civilian were killed and that security forces killed five of the attackers. In addition, six officers, six civilians and three attackers were wounded in the shootout, the ministry said.
Security and medical officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief reporters, said the truck bomb destroyed a nearby police building.
{{/usCountry}}Security and medical officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief reporters, said the truck bomb destroyed a nearby police building.
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