Egypt's security forces foiled on Thursday a suicide attack in North Sinai's El-Arish, the Egyptian interior ministry said in a statement.

Security forces managed to shoot down a suicide bomber at one of the security check points in El-Arish city before he could detonate an explosive vest.

Egypt has been battling Islamist terrorists in North Sinai for several years. Terrorist attacks have mostly targeted security forces, particularly at military and police checkpoints.

Egypt launched Operation Sinai 2018 in February of last year to target "terrorist and criminal elements and organisations" in northern and central Sinai, as well as parts of the Nile Delta and the Western Desert, the army said at the start of the operation.

Hundreds of terrorists have been killed in the intensive campaign.