An Egyptian army tank ran over a car bomb in the Sinai Peninsula yesterday, an army spokesperson said adding that seven civilians, including two young children, were killed.

The military said it intercepted the vehicle at a checkpoint near the city of Arish, the capital of North Sinai province, and tried to contain the expected blast by running over the car with a tank.

Egyptian authorities have repeatedly used the unrest in Sinai to carry out extrajudicial executions against opponents of the coup government. Details surrounding this explosion remain unclear and video footage released by the army could not be verified.

The bomb exploded after the tank had driven away and the civilians nearby were caught in the blast.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. Four gunmen were inside the vehicle, the army said.

Source: memo