2 killed, 1 injured in North Sinai explosion

Cairo, Apr 2: Two people including a policeman were killed and another security officer injured when a roadside bomb targeting a police vehicle exploded in Al-Arish city of restive North Sinai.

The bomb, planted in Al-Bahr street near the Police Club, detonated late yesterday when an armoured police vehicle passed by it, Egypt Interior Ministry said in a release.

At least six ambulances were rushed to the blast site and the injured policeman was admitted to a hospital, it said.

The explosion came hours after Egyptian army and police yesterday killed 65 terrorists in the North Sinai cities of Rafah and Sheikh Zwayed, the release said.

Officials earlier said at least three policemen were killed and six others, including civilians were injured in the blast.

Egypt's North Sinai has witnessed many violent attacks by militants since the January 2011 revolution that toppled ex-president Hosni Mubarak.

The attacks targeting police and military increased after the ouster of Islamist ex-president Mohamed Morsi in 2013 by military following massive protests against his rule.

Over 700 security personnel have been reported killed since then. The military has launched security campaigns in the area, arrested suspects and demolished houses that belong to terrorists, including those facilitating tunnels leading to the Gaza Strip.

PTI