Egypt's newly appointed interior minister, Magdy Abdel-Ghaffar, has reshuffled a number of senior positions within the ministry in a move announced late Friday, MENA news agency reported.

At least twenty posts were reshuffled, including ministerial deputies with responsibility for National Security, General Security and Sinai.

Egypt has been witnessing an increasingly unstable security situation in recent months, including regular militant attacks on security forces and on other targets.

Former minister Mohamed Ibrahim was removed from his post last week as part of a cabinet reshuffle by President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi.  He was appointed advisor to the prime minster on security issues.

Rights activists and some opposition figures had been calling for Ibrahim's dismissal for condoning police "violations of human rights."