The attack was referred to as a “terrorist” strike by the media office of the Ismailia province.

Qatar strongly condemned and denounced an attack targeting a security checkpoint in the Egyptian city of Ismailia, northeast of the capital, which resulted in at least four deaths and 12 injuries.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a statement reaffirmed Doha’s unequivocal rejection of terrorism and violence.

Three police officers and a person who is still unidentified were killed in the attack on Friday afternoon, according to a medical record accessed by the Associated Press news agency.

The attack took place on the western side of the Suez Canal, according to security officials who spoke to AP under the condition of anonymity.

The attack, claimed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) or ISIS group, was referred to as a “terrorist” strike by the media office of the Ismailia province.

Security personnel killed one of the attackers, according to state-run Al-Qahera News. It showed violent images reportedly depicting a body and claiming it to be the assailant’s corpse, according to Al Jazeera.

Ismailia is one of the major cities with a view of the Suez Canal in Egypt, a crucial waterway between Asia and Europe that carries about 10% of global maritime traffic.

Egypt, which is suffering from a weakening currency and growing inflation, depends heavily on the canal for its foreign exchange needs.

ISIL attacks in Egypt

For years, Egypt has fought ISIL (ISIS) fighters in the northern Sinai Peninsula.

Security forces launched a massive operation to expel members of armed organisations in the Sinai, portions of the Nile Delta, and the deserts along the country’s western border with Libya in February 2018.

Although numbers are difficult to confirm due to a media embargo in the peninsula, the military reportedly killed more over 1,000 fighters during the campaign.

ISIL has carried out a number of attacks across the nation, mostly focusing on security forces, minority Christians, and anyone they believe are working with the military and police.

In an attack on a water pumping station east of the Suez Canal in May, at least 11 Egyptian soldiers—including an officer—were killed.

17 people were injured in an attack in May 2019 close to the Giza pyramids in Egypt, many of whom were international tourists.