Eight policemen killed in Egypt explosion

At least eight policemen were killed and four injured Tuesday in an explosion in Egypt's Sinai region, a security official said.

The blast occurred when a police vehicle went over a planted explosive device in Rafah city's Wefaq village, the same village where eight extremists were killed in a military raid Sunday, including the head of the Sinai-based Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis group, the official told Xinhua.

In July, over 50 extremists were killed in military raids in response to the killing of police and military officers by gunmen.

Militant attacks, which usually target security personnel but also lead to civilian casualties, have surged since the ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi last year.

Sinai-based Al Qaeda offshoot Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis has claimed responsibility for most of the attacks against the security personnel.