An Egyptian soldier was shot dead on Wednesday night by unknown militants infront of Al-Thaleth police station in Al-Arish in north Sinai.

The slain soldier, 32-year-old Mahmoud Hanafi, was shot in the neck and was sent to hospital where he succumbed to his injuries.

The attackers immediately escaped in their car after the assault.

Egypt has witnessed a sharp rise in militant attacks in the Sinai Peninsula since former president Mohamed Morsi was removed by the army on 3 July amid mass protests against his rule.

At least 10 policemen died in militant attacks since Morsi's ouster.

Hardline Islamist groups based in North Sinai have intensified attacks on police and soldiers over the past two years, exploiting a security and political vacuum following the 2011 uprising that ousted autocratic president Hosni Mubarak.