Egypt Police Officer Killed in Sinai Shooting

One police officer was killed and another injured in Egypt's Sinai on Monday during clashes with members of an Islamist group suspected of attacks on a pipeline, a security official said.

Police officers in the north Sinai town of el-Arish were preparing to arrest individuals suspected of belonging to the Islamist al-Takfeer wal Hijra, when they were shot at and clashes ensued killing one officer and wounding another, the official said.

"The suspects managed to escape the scene," he added.

The group is believed to be behind around attacks on the pipeline which supplies gas to Israel and Jordan, and on police stations in North Sinai.

The pipeline has been attacked seven times since a popular uprising that toppled Hosni Mubarak in February.

Egyptian authorities have on several occasions announced measures to step up protection of the pipeline and try to arrest those behind the attacks.

Army experts have also located and defused a number of other devices targeting the pipeline.

Last week, Egyptian security officials arrested three members of the group, including Mohammed al-Teehi who they say is the mastermind of the attacks.