Some 15 soldiers have been killed or wounded in what is being described as an infiltration operation by the Takfiri Daesh terrorists on an Egyptian police checkpoint earlier this weekend.

Security forces foiled the takeover, however, on a checkpoint west of the city of al-Arish, and killed four militants while others fled.

Egypt says fighting terrorists is a priority to restore security to the country of some 96 million people.

More than seven years ago, an uprising led to the ouster of long-time dictator Hosni Mubarak from power. Since then, Egypt is suffering from a tattered economy and militants affiliated with Daesh.