Seven civilians were killed when a 4x4 vehicle laden with explosives approaching an army checkpoint south of Al-Arish in North Sinai exploded after it was run over by an army tank to stop an imminent attack on the checkpoint on Monday evening, the army spokesman reported on his official Facebook page.

The 4x4 vehicle, which exploded on the scene, was carrying five suspected militants armed with guns and 100 kilograms of explosives, the army said.

The victims included two women and two children.

The aborted attack could have killed nearly 50-60 soldiers and civilians, the statement added.

A number of civilian cars and commercial trucks were lined up to pass the checkpoint at the time of the foiled attack, a video footage posted by the army spokesperson showed.