The ambush was carried out on Monday morning near the border town of Rafah.

At least three policemen were also wounded in the incident, the latest attack on Egyptian security officials in the volatile region.

There has been no claim of responsibility for the attack so far but Egyptian security forces blamed Islamic militants behind Monday’s attack.

Egypt closed the Rafah border crossing with the Gaza Strip after the deadly attack in Sinai.

The Sinai Peninsula has been witnessing a surge in deadly violence since the ouster of President Mohamed Morsi by the army on July 3.

Since last Wednesday, about 1000 people have been killed in conflicts between Egyptian security forces and former Morsi supporters.

MRKD/SHI