An Egyptian militant group allied with the so-called ’Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant’ (ISLI) takfiri group claimed responsibility on Friday for attacks on military checkpoints in the Sinai.

An Egyptian militant group allied with the so-called 'Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant' (ISLI) takfiri group claimed responsibility on Friday for attacks on military checkpoints in the Sinai, Reuters said.

The so-called 'Sinai Province' said its militants used rocket-propelled grenades and other weapons in the attacks on Thursday, which killed 15 soldiers and two civilians.

The group, previously called Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis, said the operations killed or wounded tens of people.

Egypt has been hit by security unrest since July 2013, when the then Defense Minister Abdulfattah al-Sisi toppled the Muslim Brotherhood President Mohammad Mursi and put him in jail.

Soon after that, Sisi ran for presidential elections and won the race. His latest noticeable action was his army's participation in the Saudi-led war on Sanaa, despite that hundreds of his people live in Yemen escaping poverty and unemployment in their country.