13 Egyptian policemen killed in ISIS attack on checkpoint

Cairo: At least 13 policemen have been killed in Egypt when Islamic State militants fired a mortar shell on a security checkpoint in the country's restive North Sinai.

The mortar attack on the checkpoint in Al-Arish city killed 13 policemen yesterday, the interior ministry said in a statement.

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack.

The security forces cordoned off the area and were investigating the incident.

The incident took place two days after five soldiers were killed and eight others injured when militants attacked an army checkpoint with mortar shell in Egypt's Rafah city.

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 president Mohamed Morsi in 2013 by the military following massive protests against his rule.

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