Security officials say 15 Egyptian troops killed in an attack by gunmen in western desert

Security officials say at least 15 Egyptian troops have been killed in an attack by gunmen in the country's western desert.

An Interior Ministry official and a military official said the gunmen opened fire at a checkpoint Saturday in the western desert governorate of Wadi el-Gedid, about 500 kilometers (310 miles) from Cairo.

The officials said the gunmen also used rocket-propelled grenades in the attack. The officials said three attackers were killed in ensuing clashes. A medical official said five troops, including officers, were wounded.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to journalists.