One assailant was killed and another injured during an attack on a military checkpoint in the port city of Ismailiya, the army has said.

Two men on a motorbike were shot after they refused to heed calls to stop at a Suez Canal watchtower in the city, the Second Field Army said in a statement reported by MENA.

Security officials are investigating the incident.

In October of last year, at least six soldiers were wounded when a car bomb hit a nearby army intelligence building in the city.

The attack was claimed by Ansar Bayt Al-Maqdis, the country's most active jihadist group.

Militant fighters based in the restive Sinai Peninsula have stepped up attacks on soldiers and police over the past 17 months, following the ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi.

Jihadist fighters have on occasion expanded their campaign into mainland cities, including the capital Cairo.