Militants kill 4 policemen in Egypt

At least four policemen have been killed in two separate attacks in Egypt's restive North Sinai governorate, police said today.
The first incident reported from Al-Arish city in the governorate where an officer and a conscript were killed after militants, suspected of belonging to the Islamic State group's affiliate in the country, opened fire on them, police said.
The militants, who were riding a car, struck when the two policemen were on duty guarding a school in the western part of the city.
The duo were rushed to a nearby hospital where they were declared brought dead as they had succumbed to their injuries.

There was no official word on the school where the incident took place.
In a separate attack yesterday, two policemen were killed and one was severely injured by militants in a drive-by shooting in Masaeed district in south Al-Arish city in the governorate.

Militant group Ansar Beit al-Maqdis, which is said to be based in the north Sinai, pledged allegiance to the IS in November last year which controls territory in Iraq and Syria.
Following the ouster of Islamist ex-president Mohamed Morsi in 2013, the attacks targeting police and military have increased in the country. Hundreds of security personnel have been reported killed so far.

The Egyptian military has launched security campaigns in the area, arrested several suspects and demolished houses that belonged to terrorists, including those facilitating tunnels leading to the Gaza Strip.