An explosion hit a military armored convoy in the Sinai Peninsula on Thursday night, causing at least 10 casualties among soldiers, The Associated Press reported, citing Egyptian authorities.
The soldiers were participating in a campaign against an Islamic insurgency in the region at the time of the attack.
The military spokesman, Tamer Refai, did not specify the number of soldiers killed by the improvised explosive device. Other officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said 10 soldiers died, including an officer, and three others suffered shrapnel wounds.
The attack near the small Sinai town of Bir al-Abed occurred during the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, after sundown when the faithful break their daily fast.
Egyptian President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi gave his condolences in a statement posted on Facebook, praising the fallen soldiers as “heroes” and “martyrs.”
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack.
Egypt has been fighting an insurgency in the Sinai Peninsula for several years, which at times has spilled over into other parts of the country. Most of the attacks during this time period have been claimed by the Sinai Province, the Islamic State (ISIS) affiliate in Egypt.
The country has been under a state of emergency since April of 2018, after two suicide bombings at churches claimed by ISIS killed at least 45 people in the cities of Tanta and Alexandria.
In February of 2018, Egypt launched operation “Sinai 2018” in an effort to rid the Sinai Peninsula of Islamic terrorists.
While most of the attacks have occurred in the Sinai, terrorists have also struck at police officers, troops and other high-profile targets in the mainland. Earlier this month, an Egyptian police officer and seven suspected terrorists were killed in a firefight in the capital of Cairo.