The Egyptian military said one of its navy vessels came under "terrorist" attack in the Mediterranean on Wednesday, leaving five servicemen injured and eight others missing at sea

The Egyptian military said one of its navy vessels came under "terrorist" attack in the Mediterranean on Wednesday, leaving five servicemen injured and eight others missing at sea.

Four boats used by the assailants were destroyed and 32 of the suspected militants were arrested, the military said in a statement.

The Egyptian government is fighting an Islamist militant insurgency that has killed scores of policemen and soldiers, but a maritime attack is unprecedented.

An earlier report on the official MENA news agency reported that a naval vessel had been set alight in an exchange of fire with assailants about 70 kilometres (45 miles) from Egypt's shore.

It said the air force was called in to deal with the assailants.

The military said it was a "terrorist" attack that took place on Wednesday morning off the coast of the Damietta province in the country's north east.

"Search and rescue operations have evacuated five wounded servicemen to a military hospital... and there are still eight personnel lost and the search continues," it said in the statement.

The military said it destroyed "four boats used by the armed assailants, including terrorists, and arrested 32 people".

Those captured were under interrogation, the statement added.

A military source told AFP the assailants used "fishing boats" and did not appear to have deployed rocket propelled grenades or heavier weapons.