CAIRO — Egypt’s military says at least 11 troops have been killed in a militant attack in the restive northern part of the Sinai Peninsula.

The military said in a statement that the militants attacked a water pumping station Saturday east of the Suez Canal. It did not give further details on the location.

The statement said security forces clashes with the attacking militants. It says at least five other troops were wounded in the attack. Troops were pursuing the the militants in an isolated area in Sinai, it added.

No group claimed responsibility for Saturday’s ambush, one of the deadliest attacks against Egyptian security forces in recent years.

Egypt is battling an Islamic State-led insurgency in the Sinai that intensified after the military overthrew an elected but divisive Islamist president in 2013. The militants have carried out scores of attacks, mainly targeting security forces and Christians.

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