Policeman killed, 3 wounded in attack near Cairo

Cairo: One policeman was killed and three colleagues wounded when masked gunmen attacked a checkpoint near Cairo, security sources said, the latest in a series of assaults targeting security forces in the country.

The gunmen turned their machineguns on the checkpoint in Qaliubia before fleeing the scene, the sources said.

A massive hunt is under way to track down the assailants, the source said on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to speak to media. No-one has claimed responsibility for the attack.

On Friday, a police officer was killed and seven others, including a civilian, were wounded in a bomb explosion targeting a police patrol in eastern Cairo. That attack was claimed by a militant group calling itself Ajnad Misr (Soldiers of Egypt).

Egypt has seen a surge in deadly attacks against security forces since 2013 when the army deposed Islamist president Mohammad Mursi following widespread protests against his one-year rule.

Authorities have blamed the violence on Mursi’s Muslim Brotherhood and listed it as a terrorist organisation.

The Islamist group has repeatedly denied links to violence, saying it is committed to peaceful activism.