Blast kills police recruit during security raid in Egypt's Sinai

A police recruit was killed on Tuesday by a blast that went off during a massive security raid in Arish city of restive North Sinai province, state-run Al-Ahram news website reported.

"An explosion took place during the security raids at Zarie al-Kheir area of Arish city which resulted in the death of the police recruit," Al-Ahram quoted Sinai security sources as saying.

Earlier on Saturday, at least 10 security men, including an officer and nine recruits, were wounded as a blast targeted their two armored vehicles south of Arish city.

Egypt has been suffering anti-government terrorist attacks that have left hundreds of police and army personnel dead since the military ousted former Islamist president Mohammed Morsi in July 2013 in response to mass protests.

In late November, at least seven people were killed, including four policemen, two judges and a civilian, as a car bomb targeted a hotel in Arish hosting judges monitoring the recently-concluded parliamentary elections.

Meanwhile, the security forces have been launching massive anti-terror operations in North Sinai that left hundreds of militants killed and a similar number of suspects arrested.

The Sinai-based Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis (ABM) militant group, which has changed its name to "Sinai State" and vowed loyalty to the regional Islamic State (IS) militant group, claimed responsibility for most of the terror attacks in the country. Endit