Tens of thousands of Egyptians across the country on Thursday attended the funerals of the victims of militant attacks on military and police targets in North Sinai that left dozens dead a day earlier.

TV footage showed thousands bidding farewell to the victims in several cities, as bodies were carried through massive crowds.

In Alexandria, thousands including provincial governor Hani Al-Meseiry and other security and army officials attended the funeral of one of the slain soldiers, Mohamed Ahmed Abdo, in a mosque in the eastern part of the city, the Ahram Arabic news website reported. Security was stepped up and barriers were erected in roads leading to the mosque in the city’s Raml district.

Islamic State-affiliated militants on Wednesday launched a wave of unprecedented attacks on several military checkpoints in North Sinai, which the army said left 17 soldiers dead and stoked hours of fighting with troops in which over 100 insurgents were killed. There have been discrepancies in reports about the number of those killed in the militant attacks.

The bodies of the victims were flown by helicopter from North Sinai to Cairo on Wednesday, and later to their respective towns of residence.

In Qalyoubiya, TV footage showed thousands in the Tant El-Gazeera village praying in the streets for killed army recruit Mohamed Adel Abdel Azim.

In Sharqiya, thousands massed around the flag-wrapped casket of another killed solider as they shouted Islamic slogans.

The bodies of the victims continued to arrive to their hometowns until late in the evening.

Similar scenes were seen in other governorates including Ismailia and Menoufiya.