CAIRO, May 28 (Aswat Masriya) – Egypt’s interior ministry said on Saturday that a police officer and two conscripts were injured in a blast in the North Sinai town of al-Arish.

The blast occurred as a security convoy was passing near a police station in Arish, the ministry added in a statement.

Egypt’s parliament approved on Tuesday the renewal of the state of emergency in North Sinai pursuant to a presidential decree.

The state of emergency has been in effect in the area since October 2014 when an attack killed 33 security personnel. The Islamic State-affiliate Sinai Province had claimed the attack.

Egypt’s military said on Wednesday that 85 "takfiris" were killed in military operations, which are part of the third stage of the 'Martyr's Right' operation launched by the army following the 2014 attack.

North Sinai militants have stepped up attacks targeting security forces since the military ouster of Islamist President Mohamed Mursi in July 2013 after mass protests against his rule.

The Egyptian military said in multiple separate statements that it has killed hundreds of "terrorists" in the context of the "Martyr’s Right" military operation.

The Islamic State-affiliate, Sinai Province, has frequently claimed responsibility for attacks occurring in the Sinai Peninsula.

Aswat Masriya could not independently verify the content of these statements. Anti-terrorism legislation imposes heavy fines on news organisations that contradict official statements.