CAIRO, Mar 14 (Aswat Masriya) - An Egyptian police officer was shot dead by masked individuals in North Sinai early Monday, the interior ministry said.  

Unknown individuals shot officer Mohamed Sayed Hafez near al-Arish police station, the ministry said in a statement.

Security forces are currently investigating the incident, the ministry added.          

Earlier this month, two conscripts were killed and another was injured in an explosion that targeted a police vehicle in Sheikh Zuweid.

The towns of Sheikh Zuweid and al-Arish have been among the most targeted sites of terrorist attacks in the Sinai desert.

Militancy inside Egypt has seen a significant rise since the military ouster of former president Mohamed Mursi in July 2013, following mass protests against his rule. North Sinai has been at the epicenter of this insurgency. 

The Sinai Province, previously called Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis, has been among the most active militant groups in Egypt.

Egyptian security forces have killed hundreds of militants in Sinai over the past two years, according to separate statements by the armed forces.