CAIRO

Four army troops were killed in a bomb blast in the Sinai Peninsula on Thursday, Egypt's military spokesman said.

In a Facebook post, Brigadier-General Mohamed Samir said that an explosive device planted by militants went off in North Sinai’s Rafah city.

“An officer and three soldiers were killed and three others were injured in the blast,” he said.

Earlier this month, tens of soldiers were killed in coordinated attacks by Daesh-linked militants on a number of security checkpoints in the restive area.

Since the 2013 coup against Mohamed Morsi, Egypt’s first freely elected president, northern Sinai has become the epicenter of a deadly insurgency against Egyptian security personnel.

For the last two years, Egyptian security forces have waged a fierce campaign against militants in the volatile peninsula, which shares borders with both Israel and the blockaded Gaza Strip.