IS suicide bombers attack Army checkpoints in Egypt, 70 killed

“More than 70 terrorist elements waged simultaneous attacks against five security checkpoints in North Sinai,” army spokesperson Brigadier General Mohamed Samir said in a statement on his Facebook page.

Fighting between the dreaded militants and the soldiers is ongoing, with army and police currently chasing the attackers using ground and air force, security sources said.

The attack, which occurred in Sheikh <g data-gr-id="23">Zuweid</g> city of North Sinai, included suicide car bombings and heavy weapons that damaged large parts of the checkpoints, the sources said.

There were conflicting reports of casualty figures, with the sources saying at least 60 soldiers were killed while Samir put the number of those killed and injured so far much lower - at 10. The toll could not be immediately verified in the aftermath of the major attack.

The militants also took soldiers captive and seized weapons and several armoured vehicles, officials said. The Islamic State’s Egypt affiliate, Sinai Province, claimed responsibility for the attacks, it said in an online statement. “In a blessed raid enabled by God, the lions of the caliphate have simultaneously attacked more than 15 checkpoints,” IS, said. Twenty-three militants were killed in the attacks, the military said in a statement.