Four armed men have been killed in an operation by the Egyptian police in the city of Arish in northern Sinai.
Egyptian security source told Arabic-language media that four Egyptian policemen were also killed in the clashes on Saturday, while several others were wounded.
According to the source, the attackers were wearing explosives and others carried light weapons.
The remaining members of the group managed to flee the site of the operation, said the unnamed source.
Authorities have not blamed any specific group and none has claimed responsibility, although fighters from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant are active in the area.