Major General Abdel Nasser El-Azb, the Third Field Army chief of staff, announced on Thursday that security forces have arrested five militants involved in the bombing of the South Sinai Security Directorate.

On Monday, the South Sinai Security Directorate in Al-Tor was bombed by suspected militants, killing three conscripts and injuring 62 others.

Members of the militant cell involved in the attack were arrested after attempting to assassinate Third Field Army commander Major General Siyad Abdel Karim on Wednesday.

On Wednesday, Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis, a Sinai-based militant group, released an online statement claiming responsibility for Monday’s attack against the southern Sinai security headquarters.

The group has previously claimed responsibility for several militant attacks, including the bomb that targeted the interior minister's motorcade on 5 September.