Cairo (AFP) - Four children were killed on Saturday in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula when a mortar round hit their home, in an apparent attack by militants targeting soldiers, security officials said.

The attack took place in the northern Sinai town of El-Joura, believed to be a bastion of Islamist militants who have killed scores of police and soldiers over the past year.

Four people were wounded in the blast, the officials said, adding that the children were all under 15 years old.

Soldiers and police had been combing the area a day after militants shot dead two senior army and police officers as they were driving home.

The military said on Saturday its forces had killed 12 militants the day before in several operations.