A policeman has been shot dead in the Sinai Peninsula, the interior ministry said.

Ramadan Ghoneim was killed by unknown assailants while travelling to work on Monday afternoon in the North Sinai town of Al-Arish.

Egypt has been rocked by a spate of attacks on police and army targets since the ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi on 3 July and a subsequent crackdown on his supporters.

Bombings and shootings in the volatile peninsula, and more recently in Cairo and the Nile Delta, have killed tens of security personnel.

Ten days ago, unidentified gunmen shot dead six army soldiers near Cairo.

The authorities blame Morsi's outlawed Muslim Brotherhood for the violence. The group denies any links to the attacks and says it is committed to peaceful politics.

Ansar Beit Al-Maqdis, an Islamist militant group, has claimed responsibility for several attacks on security forces.