Armed men fired at a police checkpoint on the Cairo-Fayoum road on Tuesday, triggering panic among drivers, Al-Ahram's Arabic news website reported.

Police at the checkpoint returned fire, and the assailants escaped. No injuries were reported.

Investigations are underway into the incident, Al-Ahram reported.

Armed attacks on police checkpoints and other security sites by anti-government Islamist militants have become common over the last two years. Hundreds of security personnel have been killed or injured in such attacks.

In April, three soldiers were injured in a similar attack when armed men fired at a military train in Beni Suef governorate, which neighbours Fayoum.