Suspected militants on Monday ambushed a police convoy in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, killing at least 18 policemen, including a police brigadier-general, according to security and military officials.

The police and military officials said the attack began with the detonation of roadside bombs that destroyed and set ablaze three armored vehicles and a fourth one carrying signal jamming equipment.

The gunmen later opened fire with machine guns and commandeered a police pickup truck.

The attack took place about 30 kilometers west of el-Arish in northern Sinai, the epicenter of a long-running insurgency by militants now led by the extremist ISIS group.

The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.

source: Alarabiya