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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Egyptian troops killed at checkpoint | Egyptian troops killed at checkpoint |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Gunmen have killed at least 20 soldiers in an attack on a checkpoint in western Egypt, security officials say. | |
| The attackers used grenade launchers and heavy machine guns when they attacked the desert post some 390 miles (630km) west of Cairo, officials said. | The attackers used grenade launchers and heavy machine guns when they attacked the desert post some 390 miles (630km) west of Cairo, officials said. |
| It is not yet clear who carried out the assault. | It is not yet clear who carried out the assault. |
| Militants have intensified a campaign against the security forces since the Islamist President Mohammed Morsi was ousted from power just over a year ago. | |
| The attack took place on the Farafra-Cairo highway in Wadi al-Jadid governorate, security officials said. | |
| Three of the gunmen were also killed, state-run news agency Mena reported. | |
| 'Significant victory' | |
| The area borders Sudan and Libya. Some reports suggested that the attackers could have been smuggling weapons from Libya into Egypt. | |
| The BBC's Suzanne Kianpour in Cairo says the Egyptian army has been struggling to keep Islamist insurgents at bay. | |
| This checkpoint attack marks a significant victory for the militants in a campaign that has already claimed the lives of dozens of policemen and soldiers, our correspondent adds. | |
| The government led by former army chief Abdul Fattah al-Sisi has cracked down harshly on Islamists and other political opponents. | |
| Mr Sisi - who removed Mr Morsi from power - won May's presidential election. |