Islamic state claims responsibility for attack on Egyptian soldiers in Sinai

CAIRO (Reuters) -Islamic state on Saturday claimed responsibility for a deadly attack that killed five Egyptian soldiers in the country’s Sinai peninsula on Wednesday, the group said on its Telegram channel.

Four others were injured when armed men opened fire early on May 11 at a security post on the coast of northeastern Sinai a few kilometres away from the border with the Gaza Strip, two security sources said.

The deaths followed a May 7 ambush at a checkpoint in Sinai that killed 11 Egyptian soldiers which was also claimed by Islamic State, one of the deadliest attacks in recent years.

Egypt has expanded security control over populated coastal areas of northern Sinai since a major counter-insurgency operation was launched in 2018, but sporadic attacks by militants linked to Islamic State have continued.

(Reporting by Enas Alashray; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)