Egyptian authorities arrested late on Saturday seven suspects, including five Palestinians, in recent violent attacks in the Sinai Peninsula near the border with Israel, state news agency MENA reported.

Attacks by suspected Islamist militants on police and military sites in the lawless north Sinai region have spiked since the overthrow of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi on 3 July. Dozens of security and army personnel have been killed in drive-by shooting and rocket attacks.

Egypt's army said it has killed 78 suspected militants, including 32 foreigners, in recent crackdown operations in the peninsula.

At least 25 Egyptian policemen were killed in an ambush by Islamist militants last Monday near the north Sinai town of Rafah, in one of the deadliest attacks in recent political unrest gripping Egypt since Morsi's ouster.

According to state figures, nearly 900 people have been killed nationwide since the crackdown on pro-Morsi sit-ins in Cairo on 14 August , including around100 soldiers and policemen.