Türkiye condemns attack on Egyptian troops in Sinai

Türkiye has condemned the militant attack that killed 11 soldiers in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula.

"We condemn the attack on a water pumping station east of the Suez Canal in Egypt on May 7, which killed 11 soldiers and injured 5 soldiers," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Sunday.

Türkiye extended its condolences to the families of people who lost their lives and the Egyptian state, and wished a speedy recovery to those injured.

In a Saturday attack, at least 11 soldiers were killed and five injured in a water pumping station west of Sinai, the country's military announced. 

Army forces clashed with the militants and surrounded them in an isolated area in Sinai. The statement did not provide further details.

Militants attacked with an explosive-rigged vehicle and fired heavy weapons installed on pick-up trucks, before military reinforcements fought them off and gave chase, sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity, according to Reuters. 

"The terrorist elements are being pursued and besieged in an isolated area in Sinai," Egyptian army spokesman Gharib Abdel Hafez said in a statement, adding that five others had been injured in the attack.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

The Egyptian army has for many years fought an insurgency on the Sinai Peninsula, led mainly by the local branch of the Daesh terror group. 

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