Security apparatuses based in South Sinai killed on Wednesday afternoon the perpetrator of the attack against a security checkpoint near St. Catherine's Monastery in South Sinai.
According to a resident who preferred to remain anonymous, the perpetrator had managed to flee the scene following the Tuesday night attack but was unable to remain hidden due to an intensive security sweep in the el-Sabia region.
When found, the militant and security forces exchanged fire which resulted in the death of the perpetrator, the resident added.
A non-commissioned police officer was killed and other three officers were injured on Tuesday night in a militant attack that targeted a security checkpoint located on the road to St. Catherine's Monastery in South Sinai, the Interior Ministry said in a statement.
According to the statement, the militants opened fire on the officers from a mountainous area overlooking the checkpoint. This escalated into clashes between the police and militants.
"In response to the attack, police forces stationed at the checkpoint exchanged fire with the attackers. This caused the militants to flee the scene; one of them left his gun and some ammunition. The attack resulted in the death of a non-commissioned police officer and the injury of three others," the statement read.
Police forces were immediately sent to the location of the attack; a large-scale security sweep is ongoing to arrest the perpetrators, the statement added.
Directly following the release of Interior Ministry's statement on the attack, the Islamic State group declared responsibility for the attack. The terrorist organization's Amaaq media outlet reported that its affiliated militants in Sinai carried out the attack.
