Cairo - An Egyptian security official says
a roadside bomb struck a passing armoured vehicle in the northeastern Sinai Peninsula,
killing two soldiers.
The official says the explosion took place
Tuesday near the village of al-Kharouba, near the border with the Gaza Strip,
as army forces were patrolling the area searching for Islamic militants.
Six more soldiers were injured and remain
in serious condition, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity
because he was not authorized to speak to the press.
North-eastern Sinai is a longtime hotbed of
Islamic insurgency.
The Sinai-based militant group Ansar Beit
al-Maqdis has claimed responsibility for a series of attacks against Egyptian
security forces and recently pledged its loyalty to the Islamic State group.
