An Egyptian army spokesman said Wednesday that gunmen targeted a top military commander in Sinai, a day after two people were killed at a security checkpoint in the restive peninsula, according to Agence France-Presse.
The attack took place in Sinai's Sheikh Zuwaid area near the Gaza Strip, according to China's Xinhua.
An army spokesman said a military convoy "came under heavy fire, which led to clashes between security forces and the terrorist elements," reported AFP.
Xinhua said gunmen were heading from the Rafah border region by car and shot at a vehicle carrying General Ahmed Wasfy, the commander of Egypt's second field army.
A little girl was injured in the violence, according to AFP and Xinhua. No other fatalities were reported.
Egyptian authorities later seized the attackers' vehicle, said Xinhua, but this could not be independently confirmed.