2 policemen killed, 9 injured in Egypt blast

Cairo: 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.