An Egyptian naval launch returned fire after being shot at by gunmen in a fishing boat, killing at least four of the attackers, according to security sources and state media.
No one immediately claimed responsibility for the Wednesday attack in the Mediterranean north of the port of Damietta, near the Suez Canal, reported Reuters. The military has faced attacks from Islamist militants based in the Sinai Peninsula further east, and smugglers also operate in the area.
The military said in a statement it had captured 32 individuals in what it termed a "terrorist incident." The statement said five in the navy force were wounded and eight others were unaccounted for.
Two militant attacks in the Sinai Peninsula last month killed 33 security personnel, prompting the army to declare a three-month state of emergency in the surrounding areas and clear a security barrier along the border with the Gaza Strip.
Militant attacks have increased since July 2013 when then-army chief Abdel Fattah al-Sisi led an army ouster of elected Islamist President Mohamed Mursi following protests against his rule.
Security sources told Reuters the firefight happened about 11 miles north of the port of Damietta, west of the Suez Canal city of Port Said where dozens of commercial vessels pass each day.
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