2 policemen killed, 9 injured in Egypt blast

Cairo July 9 (IANS) At least two policemen were killed and nine others wounded in an explosion in Egypt s North Sinai province a media report said.

A senior security official said that an improvised explosive device targeted the police s armoured vehicle at Al-Safa district of Arish city in North Sinai on Saturday a place that borders Israel and the Gaza Strip Xinhua reported citing the MENA news agency.

"Security measures have been intensified around the explosion while a bomb disposal team is combing the area to make sure it is free of explosive devices " MENA quoted the security official as saying.

The explosion came a day after a car bomber attacked a checkpoint in North Sinai s nearby Rafah city causing at least 66 deaths and injuries according to the Egyptian military spokesman.

Also on Saturday the Egyptian police killed 14 terrorists in a desert area in the Suez Canal province of Ismailia for their alleged involvement in attacks against security forces in North Sinai.

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi called a meeting on Saturday with the country s top officials including the ministers of defence interior affairs and justice as well as the head of general intelligence over Friday s attack.

"The forces of extremism attempt to undermine stability and security of the country " said the Egyptian president.

Egypt has been facing a rising wave of terrorist activities following the military removal of former Islamist President Mohamed Morsi in July 2013 in response to mass protests against his one-year rule and his now-outlawed Muslim Brotherhood group.

--IANS
pgh/