Militants linked to Islamic State say they have destroyed an Egyptian navy patrol ship with a rocket off the Sinai peninsula.
The group, called Sinai Province, released images on Twitter which appear to show a rocket heading for a vessel and setting it on fire on impact.
The photos show a large explosion engulfing most of the ship and black smoke rising from it afterwards.
An Egyptian military spokesman said the vessel was set ablaze during an exchange of fire with “terrorists” on the shore.
No one was killed, but security officials said a number of crew suffered minor burns.
The spokesman did not say how much damage had been caused, what type of vessel it was or how many crew were on board.
One witness, a fisherman from the nearby Gaza Strip, said the vessel was a gunboat and was about a mile offshore when it was hit by the rocket.
He said he saw two smaller boats later trying to put out the fire and that a third, larger one later towed the burning vessel away.
Until now Sinai Province have mainly targeted soldiers and police in the peninsula, which lies between between Israel, the Gaza Strip and the Suez Canal.
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