CAIRO, Jan 17 (Aswat Masriya) - Egypt’s interior ministry said that at least eight policemen were killed and three were injured in a militant attack on a security checkpoint in the New Valley province in the Western Desert Monday night.

The attack occurred in the Naqb checkpoint more than 600 kilometres south-west of Cairo. According to the ministry’s statement, at least two of the attackers were killed.

A security source told Aswat Masriya that al-Kharga-Assiut Road was closed after the attack.

Meanwhile, another attack took place in Northern Sinai’s al-Arish on Jan. 9 leading to the death of eight policemen and the injury of at least ten, including three civilians, according to security sources.

Egypt has been battling an insurgency, largely contained in the Sinai Peninsula, since the military ouster of former president Mohamed Mursi, who hailed from the Muslim Brotherhood, after mass protests against his rule.

The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for several attacks targeting security personnel in the Sinai region.

There have been occasional attacks in the Western Desert which borders Libya where the Islamic State is also active.