CAIRO – The Egyptian branch of the Islamic State terror organization claimed on Wednesday responsibility for the attack on an airport in North Sinai during a visit to the area by the defense and interior ministers.

In a statement issued through Telegram, the Wilayat Sinaa (Sinai Province) group said it fired a guided missile at Arish airport while Interior Minister Magdy Abdel Ghaffar and Defense Minister Sedki Sobhy were visiting.

Wilayat Sinaa said the missile hit an Apache helicopter, killing and wounding several people.

On Tuesday, army spokesman Tamer al-Refai said in a statement that Arish airport was the target of an attack with a projectile that killed an officer, wounded two others and damaged an army helicopter.

The attack occurred during a visit to North Sinai by the two ministers, who traveled to the troubled region to inspect the units deployed there, the army spokesman said.

North Sinai has been the scene of operations for many radical groups, including the local branch of IS, which frequently stages attacks on Egyptian security forces.