CAIRO: The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the roadside bombing of an army convoy in the turbulent northern part of the Sinai Peninsula a day earlier that killed at least four.

In a statement distributed by IS sympathisers on social media Thursday, the group said that it had killed and wounded more than 20 soldiers including senior officers. The Associated Press could not independently verify the claim, but its design and logo resembled previous IS claims.

Egyptian security and health officials had said the attack, just south of the coastal city of el-Arish, killed an army colonel and three soldiers and wounded another 12 soldiers, several of whom were in critical condition. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to the media.