Egypt police kill 8 militants after checkpoint attack

CAIRO

Egyptian police killed eight suspected militants involved in a deadly checkpoint attack in North Sinai province, the Interior Ministry said Friday.

On Wednesday, at least eight police officers were killed when militants targeted a checkpoint south of Arish. Five of the militants were killed in exchange of fire while the rest of them fled the scene.

Friday's deaths bring death toll of suspected militants to 27 as 14 others were killed on Thursday in a shootout in the wake of the incident.

According to the ministry statement: "Information was available about a group of terrorists hiding inside an olive farm south of Arish city."

Security forces rounded the farm and killed eight militants in Friday's shootout.

Daesh terrorist group has claimed responsibility for Wednesday's attack.

The Sinai Peninsula has remained the epicenter of a militant insurgency since 2013, when the army ousted Mohamed Morsi -- Egypt's first freely elected president and a Muslim Brotherhood leader -- in a military coup.

* Writing by Mahmoud Barakat