A roadside bomb exploded on Saturday morning in the North Sinai town of Al-Arish leaving two police conscripts dead, the Ministry of Interior said in a statement.
Hours after the incident, militant group State of Sinai released a statement claiming responsibility for the bombing. In the statement, the group also claimed that 15 personnel were killed after an army vehicle was bombed.
However, the Interior Ministry said that 16 soldiers were injured and are currently in hospital for treatment. The ministry added that the two soldiers killed in the explosion were part of a Central Security Forces (CSF) contingent stationed in the restive North Sinai area.
Roadside bombings and individual attacks are a regular occurrence in Sinai, ever since the ouster of former Islamist President Mohamed Morsi in July 2013. Since the beginning of September, the armed forces have been intensifying operations against militants in Sinai, with a death toll now exceeding 200 militants.
