)
At least 17 people have been killed following a militant attack in the Sinai peninsula area of Egypt which is near the Israel-Gaza border.
BBC reports that the attack, which saw gun men attack checkpoints around the town of Sheikh Zuweid, left 15 soldiers and 2 civilians died.
Egyptian forces have been fighting a faction affiliated to the Islamic State group, known as Sinai Province.
Police say gunmen fired on soldiers with automatic rifles and rockets as part of a co-ordinated set of attacks.
)
)
)
Sinai Province, the group behind the attack, was known as Ansar Beit al-Maqdis until it pledged allegiance to Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in November.
The group is reported to be behind most of the major attacks in Sinai, including a series of strikes that left at least 30 people dead on 29th January.