Egypt Policeman Gunned Down By Militants

Unidentified militants on Friday evening shot dead a policeman in the northern Egyptian province of Sharqiya, a security official has said.



"Three masked men targeted Police Sergeant Ali Amin, 46, in Abu Kabir town in Sharqiya province," provincial security chief Sameh al-Kelani said in press statements.



"One of the men walked up to Amin and shot him, killing him instantly before fleeing the scene on a motorbike with his two companions," he added.



The shooting came shortly after two attacks hit army checkpoints in the northeastern Sinai Peninsula. One of the attacks left 26 troops dead, while it remains unclear whether a second attack left any casualties.



No group has yet claimed responsibility for Friday's attacks, the latest in a series of deadly assaults – which have mainly targeted security forces – since last year's ouster of president Mohamed Morsi by the army.



Two shadowy militant groups – "Ansar Beit al-Maqdis," which is largely active in the Sinai Peninsula, and "Agnad Misr" – have claimed responsibility for some of the attacks.



Former army chief Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi, widely seen as the architect of Morsi's ouster and subsequent imprisonment last year, was declared the winner of presidential polls in May.



By Mohamed Hakam



englishnews@aa.com.tr



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