By Ashraf Sweilam and Hamza Hendawi Associated Press

EL-ARISH, Egypt – Islamic State militants ambushed a police convoy in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula on Monday, killing 18 police and wounding seven others in one of the deadliest attacks this year in the restive region bordering Israel and the Gaza Strip.

Police and military officials said roadside bombs destroyed and set ablaze four armored vehicles and a fifth carrying signal-jamming equipment meant to neutralize roadside bombs that are remotely detonated. The gunmen later opened fire with machine guns and commandeered a police pickup truck.

Among those killed were two police lieutenants. The wounded included a police brigadier general, according to the officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief media.

The Islamic State group, which is spearheading an insurgency centered in northern Sinai, claimed responsibility for the attack on its Aamaq news agency.

The Interior Ministry, which oversees the police, issued a statement confirming the incident, but its account provided no details on casualty figures or how many vehicles were destroyed.

It said police traveling in the convoy fired at a car that rushed toward them, causing it to blow up and damage several of the convoy’s vehicles. That was followed by an exchange of gunfire with “terrorist elements” hiding in the desert on both sides of the road.

“That led to the martyrdom and wounding of some of the convoy’s personnel,” it cryptically added.

“Reinforcements were swiftly sent, the site has been sealed off and combing operations are underway,” it said.

Egypt’s Cabinet issued a statement in response to the attack, reiterating the country’s resolve to stamp out terrorism and hunt down militants. Again, the statement provided no casualty figures or details of the attack.

The U.S. State Department condemned the attack on Monday. Spokesperson Heather Nauert said the U.S. would “continue to stand with Egypt as it confronts the threat from terrorism.”

Monday’s attack took place on a road on the western fringes of the coastal city of el-Arish in northern Sinai, a rugged region defined by desert, shrubs and mountains. It showed the resilience of the militants in the face of a years-long campaign to eradicate them by the military and police, which between them command far superior firepower, air support, heavy armor and larger numbers.

The attack also suggested that the militants remain capable of carefully planning elaborate and multi-tiered attacks, making full use of the weapons available to them and their knowledge of the local terrain. In a wider context, the militants have been seeking to demoralize troops using snipers, killing at least 14 policemen and soldiers in recent weeks.

They have also been increasingly using brutal methods to discourage civilians from cooperating with the security forces, kidnapping alleged collaborators and later dumping their decapitated bodies on the streets to terrorize the population.

Egypt’s security forces, meanwhile, have succeeded in confining the insurgency to northern Sinai – a remote northeastern corner of the country – and preventing the militants from seizing and holding territory there.

Monday’s attack was the deadliest against security forces since July, when IS militants attacked a remote army outpost in the border town of Rafah, killing 23 soldiers. That was the deadliest attack in two years.

In March, the military said militants killed 10 soldiers during an army raid in Sinai’s central region.

Egypt has battled militants in Sinai for years, but the insurgency became far more deadly after the 2013 military ouster of Mohammed Morsi, an elected Islamist president. It has since waged a number of high-profile attacks on the mainland, including areas near Egypt’s porous desert border with Libya. Egypt maintains that some of the militants attacking its security forces and minority Christians sneak into the country through the Libyan border carrying weapons.

In recent years there has also been a wave of attacks, mainly targeting security forces, blamed on splinter factions of Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood group.

Monday’s attack came a day after authorities said they had busted a militant cell planning attacks in Cairo. Police said they killed 10 militants in two simultaneous raids on apartments in a densely populated Cairo neighborhood. They said the militants sneaked into the capital from northern Sinai, but did not say whether they were members of the IS group.</s>Militants have ambushed a police convoy in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, killing 18 people and wounding seven others, according to officials.

It is the deadliest attack in the turbulent region in months.

The attack began with the detonation of roadside bombs that destroyed and set ablaze four armoured vehicles and a fifth one carrying signal-jamming equipment, police and military officials said.

The gunmen later opened fire with machine guns and commandeered a police pick-up truck.

Among those killed were two police lieutenants. The wounded included a police brigadier general.

The attack took place about 30 kilometres (nearly 19 miles) west of el-Arish in northern Sinai, the epicentre of a long-running insurgency now led by the extremist Islamic State group.

The officials had earlier put the death toll at five and said the convoy included three armoured vehicles.

Monday’s attack was the deadliest against security forces since July, when IS militants attacked a remote army outpost in the border town of Rafah, killing 23 soldiers.

That was the deadliest attack in two years.

In March, the military said militants killed 10 soldiers during an army raid in Sinai’s central region.

Egypt has battled militants in Sinai for years, but the insurgency became far more deadly after the 2013 military ousting of Mohammed Morsi, an elected Islamist president.

In recent years there has also been a wave of attacks, mainly targeting security forces, blamed on a splinter faction of Mr Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood group.

Monday’s attack came a day after authorities said they had busted a militant cell planning attacks in Cairo.

Police said they killed 10 militants in two simultaneous raids on apartments in a densely populated Cairo neighbourhood.

They said the militants sneaked into the capital from northern Sinai.</s>Islamic State militants have ambushed a police convoy in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, killing 18 police and wounding seven others.

It is one of the deadliest attacks this year in the restive region bordering Israel and the Gaza Strip.

Roadside bombs destroyed and set ablaze four armoured vehicles and a fifth one carrying signal-jamming equipment, police and military officials said.

The gunmen later opened fire with machine guns and commandeered a police pick-up truck.

Among those killed were two police lieutenants. The wounded included a police brigadier general.

IS claimed responsibility for the attack in a brief item carried by its Aamaq news agency.

The attack took place about 30 kilometres (nearly 19 miles) west of el-Arish in northern Sinai, the epicentre of a long-running insurgency now led by an IS affiliate.

Monday's attack was the deadliest against security forces since July, when IS militants attacked a remote army outpost in the border town of Rafah, killing 23 soldiers.

That was the deadliest attack in two years.

In March, the military said militants killed 10 soldiers during an army raid in Sinai's central region.

Egypt has battled militants in Sinai for years but the insurgency became far more deadly after the 2013 military ousting of Mohammed Morsi, an elected Islamist president.

In recent years there has also been a wave of attacks, mainly targeting security forces, blamed on splinter factions of Mr Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood group.

Monday's attack came a day after authorities said they had busted a militant cell planning attacks in Cairo.

Police said they killed 10 militants in two simultaneous raids on apartments in a densely populated Cairo neighbourhood.

They said the militants sneaked into the capital from northern Sinai, but did not say whether they were members of IS.</s>ISIS militants kill 18 police in attack on convoy in Egypt’s Sinai

EL-ARISH, Egypt — Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) militants ambushed a police convoy in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula on Monday, killing 18 police and wounding seven others in one of the deadliest attacks this year in the restive region bordering Israel and the Gaza Strip.

Police and military officials said roadside bombs destroyed and set ablaze four armored vehicles and a fifth carrying signal-jamming equipment meant to neutralize roadside bombs that are remotely detonated. The gunmen later opened fire with machine guns and commandeered a police pickup truck.

Among those killed were two police lieutenants. The wounded included a police brigadier general, according to the officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief media.

ISIS, which is spearheading an insurgency centered in northern Sinai, claimed responsibility for the attack on its Amaq news agency. – READ MORE</s>EL-ARISH, Egypt — Islamic State militants ambushed a police convoy in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula on Monday, killing 18 police and wounding seven others in one of the deadliest attacks this year in the restive region bordering Israel and the Gaza Strip.

Police and military officials said roadside bombs destroyed and set ablaze four armored vehicles and a fifth carrying signal-jamming equipment. The gunmen later opened fire with machine guns and commandeered a police pickup truck.

Among those killed were two police lieutenants. The wounded included a police brigadier general. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief media.

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for the attack on its Aamaq news agency.

The attack took place about 30 kilometers (nearly 19 miles) west of el-Arish in northern Sinai, the epicenter of a long-running insurgency now led by an IS affiliate. The Interior Ministry, which oversees the police, issued a statement confirming the incident, but its account provided no details on casualty figures or how many vehicles were destroyed.

It said police traveling in the convoy fired at a car that rushed toward them, causing it to blow up and damage several of the convoy's vehicles. That was followed by an exchange of gunfire with "terrorist elements" hiding in the desert on both sides of the road.

"That led to the martyrdom and wounding of some of the convoy's personnel," it cryptically added.

"Reinforcements were swiftly sent, the site has been sealed off and combing operations are underway," it said.

Monday's attack was the deadliest against security forces since July, when IS militants attacked a remote army outpost in the border town of Rafah, killing 23 soldiers. That was the deadliest attack in two years.

In March, the military said militants killed 10 soldiers during an army raid in Sinai's central region.

Egypt has battled militants in Sinai for years, but the insurgency became far more deadly after the 2013 military ouster of Mohammed Morsi, an elected Islamist president. It has since waged a number of high-profile attacks on the mainland, including areas near Egypt's porous and desert border with Libya. Egypt maintains that militants attacking its security forces and minority Christians sneak into the country across the border with Libya carrying weapons.

In recent years there has also been a wave of attacks, mainly targeting security forces, blamed on splinter factions of Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood group.

Monday's attack came a day after authorities said they had busted a militant cell planning attacks in Cairo. Police said they killed 10 militants in two simultaneous raids on apartments in a densely populated Cairo neighborhood. They said the militants sneaked into the capital from northern Sinai, but did not say whether they were members of the IS group.

Hendawi reported from Cairo. Associated Press writers Samy Magdy and Maamoun Youssef in Cairo contributed to this report.</s>EL-ARISH, Egypt (AP) — Militants ambushed a police convoy in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula on Monday, killing 18 police and wounding seven others, according to security and military officials, in one of the deadliest attacks this year in the turbulent region.

The police and military officials said the attack began with roadside bombs that destroyed and set ablaze four armored vehicles and a fifth one carrying signal jamming equipment. The gunmen later opened fire with machine guns and commandeered a police pickup truck.

Among those killed were two police lieutenants. The wounded included a police brigadier general.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, which bore the hallmarks of the Islamic State.

The attack took place about 30 kilometers (nearly 19 miles) west of el-Arish in northern Sinai, the epicenter of a long-running insurgency now led by the extremist Islamic State group.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief media.

Monday’s attack was the deadliest against security forces since July, when Islamic State militants attacked a remote army outpost in the border town of Rafah, killing 23 soldiers. That was the deadliest attacks in two years.

In March, the military said militants killed 10 soldiers during an army raid in Sinai’s central region.

Egypt has battled militants in Sinai for years, but the insurgency became far more deadly after the 2013 military ouster of Mohammed Morsi, an elected Islamist president. In recent years there has also been a wave of attacks, mainly targeting security forces, blamed on a splinter faction of Morsi’s Muslim Brotherhood group.

Monday’s attack came a day after authorities said they had busted a militant cell planning attacks in Cairo. Police said they killed 10 militants in two simultaneous raids on apartments in a densely populated Cairo neighborhood. They said the militants sneaked into the capital from northern Sinai.

Hendawi reported from Cairo. Associated Press writer Samy Magdy contributed to this report.</s>EL-ARISH, Egypt (AP) - Suspected militants on Monday ambushed a police convoy in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, killing five policemen and wounding three others, including a police brigadier-general, according to security and military officials.

The police and military officials said the attack began with the detonation of roadside bombs that destroyed and set ablaze three armored vehicles and a fourth one carrying signal jamming equipment. The gunmen later opened fire with machine guns and commandeered a police pickup truck.

The attack took place about 30 kilometers (20 miles) west of el-Arish in northern Sinai, the epicenter of a long-running insurgency by militants now led by the extremist Islamic State group.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.</s>Egyptian officials say suspected militants have ambushed a police convoy in the Sinai Peninsula, killing two policemen and wounding two others, including a police brigadier-general.

The police and military officials say the Monday attack began with the detonation of roadside bombs that destroyed and set ablaze three armored vehicles and a fourth one carrying signal jamming equipment. The suspected militants later opened fire with machine guns.

The attack took place about 30 kilometers (20 miles) west of el-Arish in northern Sinai, the epicenter of a long-running insurgency by militants now led by the extremist Islamic State group.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.</s>EL-ARISH, Egypt — The Latest on an attack on a police convoy in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula (all times local):

The U.S. State Department has said it strongly condemns the attack on a police convoy in the Sinai Peninsula that killed 18 policemen.

The United States, said spokesperson Heather Nauert, would “continue to stand with Egypt as it confronts the threat from terrorism.”

The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the ambush.

The northern part of Egypt’s Sinai peninsula has been the epicenter of a long-running insurgency by militants now led by a local affiliate of the extremist Islamic State group.

Egypt’s Interior Ministry, which oversees the police, has issued a statement confirming that militants in the northern part of the Sinai Peninsula have ambushed a police convoy, but its account of the incident provided no details on casualty figures or how many vehicles were destroyed.

Egyptian officials say Monday’s ambush left 18 police dead and seven wounded. Four armoured vehicles and a fifth carrying signal-jamming equipment were destroyed while a police pickup truck was commandeered, they said.

The ministry statement said police travelling in the convoy fired at a car that rushed toward them, causing it to blow up and damage several of the convoy’s vehicles. That was followed by an exchange of gunfire with “terrorist elements” hiding in the desert on both sides of the road, according to the statement.

The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for the ambush of a police convoy in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula that Egyptian officials said killed 18 police and wounded seven.

The claim of responsibility for Monday’s attack was carried by the extremist group’s Aamaq news agency.

Egyptian police and military officials said the attack began with roadside bombs that destroyed and set ablaze four armoured vehicles and a fifth one carrying signal jamming equipment. The gunmen later opened fire with machine-guns and commandeered a police pickup truck.

It was the deadliest attack in the northern Sinai in months.

Egyptian officials say the death toll from an attack on a police convoy in the Sinai Peninsula has risen to 18, making it one of the deadliest attacks in the restive area in months.

The police and military officials say Monday’s attack began with the detonation of roadside bombs that destroyed and set ablaze four armoured vehicles and a fifth one carrying signal jamming equipment. The gunmen later opened fire with machine-guns and commandeered a police pickup truck.

Among those killed were two police lieutenants. The wounded included a police brigadier general.

The attack took place about 30 kilometres (nearly 19 miles) west of el-Arish in northern Sinai, the epicenter of a long-running insurgency by militants now led by the extremist Islamic State group.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

Egyptian officials say suspected militants have ambushed a police convoy in the Sinai Peninsula, killing two policemen and wounding two others, including a police brigadier-general.

The police and military officials say the Monday attack began with the detonation of roadside bombs that destroyed and set ablaze three armoured vehicles and a fourth one carrying signal jamming equipment. The suspected militants later opened fire with machine-guns.

The attack took place about 30 kilometres (20 miles) west of el-Arish in northern Sinai, the epicenter of a long-running insurgency by militants now led by the extremist Islamic State group.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.</s>Monday's attack the deadliest against Egyptian security forces since July when ISIL killed 23 troops in Rafah.

ISIL fighters ambushed a police convoy in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula on Monday, killing 18 officers and wounding seven others in one of the deadliest attacks this year in the restive region.

Police and military officials said roadside bombs destroyed and set ablaze four armoured vehicles and a fifth one carrying signal jamming equipment. The gunmen later opened fire with assault weapons and commandeered a police pick-up truck truck.

Among those killed were two police lieutenants. The wounded included a police brigadier general. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to brief media.

Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) claimed responsibility for the attack in a brief statement carried by its Aamaq website.

READ MORE: Gunmen kill five Egyptian policemen near Cairo

The attack took place about 30km west of el-Arish in northern Sinai, the epicentre of a long-running rebellion now led by an ISIL affiliate.

The Ministry of Interior confirmed in a statement that the attack on Monday took place and several policemen were killed or wounded. It did not provide any casualty figures.

Monday's attack was the deadliest against security forces since July when ISIL attacked a remote army outpost in the border town of Rafah, killing 23 soldiers. That was the deadliest attack in two years.

The ambush came a day after authorities said they had caught a cell planning attacks in the capital, Cairo. Police said they killed 10 fighters in two simultaneous raids on apartments in a densely populated Cairo neighbourhood. They said the fighters had sneaked into the capital from northern Sinai but did not say whether they were members of ISIL.

El-Arish, the capital of North Sinai province, has been a site of regular conflict between government forces and ISIL fighters in recent months.

Egypt has battled fighters in Sinai for years, but the rebellion became far more deadly after the 2013 military removal of Mohamed Morsi.

Al Jazeera's Middle East analyst Yehia Ghanem said the intensified violence in Sinai over the last four years has been used by the Egyptian government to escalate repression throughout the country.

"The Egyptian regime has initiated violence in the Sinai - all over the country but specifically in Sinai. It's a rule - violence begets violence," he said.

The Sinai Peninsula borders Israel and the Gaza Strip.
Militants ambush a police convoy in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula killing 18 police and wounding seven others.