A gunbattle between members of Egypt's military and an armed gang in the Sinai Peninsula left one soldier dead on Thursday, a source said.
An officer and another person were also wounded when the army moved on an unidentified gang near a police building in the northern city of El-Arish, the security source said, adding that gunshots were still being fired.
Clashes between security forces and armed groups, often engaged in smuggling immigrants, arms and drugs through the Sinai Peninsula, are not uncommon.
Many Egyptians in Sinai, often complain of neglect by the Cairo government and say tough living conditions have led some of their people to resort to smuggling and other criminal activities.
