CAIRO: A low-ranking police officer was shot dead Tesday by masked gunmen in Egypt’s Delta governorate of Sharqia, Youm7 reported.
Hany Hamed, a 37-year-old policeman from Abu Hammad police station north of the Delta governorate of Sharqia was killed on his way to work after masked gunmen in a motorcycle opened fire at him, security source at Sharqia security directorate told Youm7 Tuesday.
Hamed died of his wounds after he was shot in the head and the chest, the source added.
“The policeman will be honored in a military funeral scheduled for Tuesday afternoon,” according to the source.
Egypt has witnessed a significant rise in militancy since the military-backed ouster of Islamist President Mohamed Morsi in July 2013 following mass protests against his rule. According to the Interior Ministry, militant attacks have killed more than 500 security personnel since then.
On Monday, The Egyptian army spokesperson Mohamed Samir said it has killed 88 suspected militants in North Sinai during the period from July 20 to July 31.
Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis, which claimed responsibility for several attacks on military checkpoints and institutions, changed its name to Wilayat Sinai (Sinai Province) after pledging allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) group last November.