One police officer was shot dead and another injured on Tuesday when gunmen attacked a security checkpoint on the Nakhl Road in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula near the northern city of Al-Arish. Al-Ahram's Arabic-language news website cited a security source as saying that police first lieutenant Mohamed El-Sayed had been killed by the attackers, while police corporal Hussein El-Hadad had been shot in the stomach. The latter is currently receiving medical treatment in hospital, according to Al-Ahram. Egypt's restless Sinai Peninsula has witnessed a number of recent attacks on security forces by unidentified militants. On 3 November, three policemen were killed and another injured in an attack by unidentified assailants in Al-Arish. Three days later, a police inspector was severely injured after being shot by unidentified gunmen. Some of these attacks were thought to be in response to earlier clashes between Egyptian security forces and Sinai-based militants. The deadliest attack happened last August when 16 Egyptian border guards were killed and seven injured by unknown assailants near Egypt's border with Israel. The frequent attacks have prompted some security officers, especially those of low rank, to call strikes to demand safer working conditions. Some have also demanded the dismissal of the current interior minister. Ahram
