Army troops foiled a terrorist attack on Saturday morning targeting Abou Tawela check point, south of Sheikh Zuwaid city in northern Sinai.

Both sides exchanged fire at the check point. Three armed militias were killed and identified as members of the terrorist group Ansar Beit al-Maqdis (Islamic State in Sinai).

Two army recruits were injured during the attack, and transferred to Arish military hospital for treatment.

Islamists militants have conducted several attacks on security forces in recent years, mostly in northern Sinai, where Egypt is fighting an Islamist insurgency. A terrorist attack on a military checkpoint in northern Sinai on Friday killed 11 soldiers, out of the checkpoint's 31-strong force in Arish city, according to Reuters. Twelve soldiers were injured, six unarmed and the rest were missing. However, attacks have also been conducted closer to the capital. In May, eight policemen were killed in a drive-by shooting incident in Helwan, south of Cairo. The attack was later claimed by two Islamist terrorist groups.

Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm