A bomb exploded in North Sinai's Rafah on Tuesday morning, killing one low-ranking officer and a civilian driver, and injuring 12 conscripts.

The blast took place where the soldiers were deployed, a security source told state news agency MENA.

The injured were transferred to a nearby hospital, he added.

Since the 3 July removal of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi, militant attacks targeting security forces have been on the rise, mostly in Sinai which has suffered a security vacuum since the January 2011 revolution that toppled Hosni Mubarak.

Last Friday, a 31-year-old policeman was killed in Sinai by unknown gunmen who escaped after hitting him with 17 bullets.