A top police officer has been killed in a drive-by shooting by Islamic State group jihadists in Egypt’s restive north Sinai.
Assailants in a car yesterday opened fire at a police point killing Major General Khaled Kamal Othman in Al-Arish city, the Ministry of Interior has said.
The police forces cordoned the area and currently searching for the attackers, the statement said.
Later, Egypt’s branch of the Islamic State group claimed responsibility of the attack.
Egypt’s North Sinai has witnessed many violent attacks by militants since the January, 2011 revolution that toppled the 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 600 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.
