Egyptian army boat ablaze off Sinai after gunfight

An Egyptian navy vessel is on fire off the coast of Sinai after an exchange of gunfire with militants from the shore, the Egyptian military says.

There were no fatalities among the vessel’s crew in the exchange with “terrorists,” according to a statement by the military spokesman, Brig. Gen. Mohammed Samir, on his Facebook page.

Security officials say an unspecified number of crew members suffered injuries from the fire.

Firefighters have been trying to put out the blaze for more than three hours, the officials say.

This is said to be a picture of the smoking ship off the #Rafah coast http://t.co/d0S0irlaU0

— Joel Gulhane – چويل (@jgulhane) July 16, 2015

The ship is apparently a troop transporter used to avoid an overland route through Sinai, where Islamist militants frequently target Egyptian military posts and patrols.

Authorities are also looking into the possibility that the vessel was first hit by a rocket from the shore or that suspected militants swam out to it and placed explosives, which were later detonated by remote control.

— AP