2 police officers killed in North Sinai; Province of Sinai announces death of Palestinian member

Two police officers were killed and six others injured in a targeted bombing of a police vehicle in Arish early Sunday morning, local sources in the North Sinai city told Mada Masr. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.

Sources say the blast was heard in Arish’s Massaeid district and left police officer Mohamed Helmy and Ahmed Mohamed dead.

Meanwhile, Province of Sinai, the Sinai-based Islamic State affiliate, announced that one of its members has been killed: a Palestinian man known as Abou Sayed al-Maqdisi.

Media websites affiliated with the Islamic State reported that Maqdisi’s given name is Ahmed al-Hallaq, and that he hailed from the Shati Camp in Gaza.

Sunday’s announcement is the second time Province of Sinai has announced the death of Palestinian members among its ranks in Sinai.

In June, the organization announced the death of Abou Omair al-Maqdisi and Abou Osama al-Maqdisi, whose given names are Ahmed Zaqout and Fady al-Haggar respectively.

The Egyptian Armed Forces and police have carried out a sustained security campaign in North Sinai since the ouster of former President Mohamed Morsi in 2013, in an attempt to counter the increasing militant presence in the region.