Egypt militants kill 7 soldiers in Sinai: security sources

Egypt soldiers are deployed in the area of the Rafah Crossing border between Egypt and the Gaza Strip, on May 21, 2013. Militants in Egypt's Sinai peninsula on Thursday killed seven soldiers in an attack on a checkpoint, security officials said. (AFP/File)

CAIRO (AFP) – Militants in Egypt's Sinai peninsula on Thursday killed seven soldiers in an attack on a checkpoint, security officials said.

The soldiers were killed when gunmen in two cars attacked them in their tents at a checkpoint near a police station in the northern town of El-Arish, the officials said.

The northern part of the peninsula has seen a semi-insurgency by Bedouin militants since the July 3 military overthrow of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi.