At least four Egyptian army soldiers have been killed in a surprise attack by Takfiri militants against a camp in the North African country’s volatile Sinai Peninsula.

Egyptian security and medical officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the attack took place on Saturday, when terrorists waiting in ambush opened fire on Egyptian soldiers in the mountainous al-Hasanah area of central Sinai, Sky News Arabia reported.

The report added that an unnamed commander of the Takfiri Velayat Sinai militant group was also killed during clashes with Egyptian government forces in the el-Qasimah area of central Sinai.

On April 5, 25-year-old terrorist Maher Mohammed Ali Salim was killed during a counter-terrorism operation in the town of Khariza. He was a close aide to the leader of the Velayat Sinai terrorist group in central Sinai, namely fugitive militant Mohammed Musa Moheisen.

The Sinai Peninsula has been under a state of emergency since October 2014, following a deadly terrorist attack that claimed the lives of 33 soldiers.

Over the past years, militants have been carrying out anti-government attacks, taking advantage of the turmoil that has gripped the country since then-President Mohamed Morsi was ousted by the military in July 2013.

Militants from the Takfiri Velayat Sinai group, previously known as Ansar Bait al-Maqdis, have claimed responsibility for most of the attacks, mainly targeting the army and police. In November 2014, the group pledged allegiance to the Takfiri Daesh terrorist group, which is mainly wreaking havoc in Iraq and Syria.

The government in Cairo views the volatile region as a safe haven for terrorists.