The death toll from an attack on a military checkpoint in North Sinai increased to 11 on Friday, Reuters reported, citing anonymous medical sources.
Three more bodies were found on Friday, bringing the death toll to 11 soldiers out of the checkpoint's 31-strong force, according to Reuters. Twelve soldiers were injured, six unarmed and the rest were missing.
Following the attack, eyewitnesses told Reuters that security forces set up several extra moving and static checkpoints in and around Arish city, where the attack took place, in search for the culprits.
On Thursday, the military spokesperson Mohamed Samir said in an official statement that eight soldiers were killed and a number of others injured.
“A group of armed militants attacked a security checkpoint using trucks loaded with explosives. Amid clashes, three of the militants were killed, while eight of the armed forces men martyred and a number of other soldiers injured,” the statement said.
Following the ouster of the Muslim Brotherhood regime in 2013, the Sinai Peninsula has become a restive area with a number of attacks targeting security personnel, police officer, as well as high-ranking judges.
No one has claimed responsibility for the attack on Thursday yet. However past attacks targeting military personnel were claimed by the self-proclaimed State of Sinai militant group.
