TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Iran’s Foreign Ministry condemned the recent terrorist attack that has killed Egyptian troops in North Sinai province.

Foreign Ministry Spokesman Bahram Qassemi offered condolences to the Egyptian government and nation and families of the victims of the attack, deploring the acts of terrorism in any shape and at any place.

At least 12 members of Egypt's security forces have been killed and six wounded in an attack on a checkpoint in North Sinai province on Friday. Daesh (ISIL) terrorist group quickly claimed responsibility for the assault.

Warning against the growing trend in terrorist attacks and extremism that target both civilians and security forces of the regional countries, Qassemi called for concerted action, international willpower, and vigilance of the regional countries to tackle terrorism.

Iran strongly condemns terrorism and extremism at any country and by any group that entails terror, insecurity and instability in the nations, he underlined.

An insurgency in the rugged and thinly populated Sinai Peninsula gained pace after the Egyptian military overthrew president Mohamed Mursi in mid-2013.

Bir al-Abd has so far been largely spared the violence that has rocked northern Sinai over the past three years.

The armed group staging attacks pledged allegiance to Daesh in 2014 and adopted the name Sinai Province. It is blamed for the killing of hundreds of soldiers and policemen, and has started to hit Western targets within Egypt.

By Tasnim News Agency