A leading member of Ansar Bayt Al-Maqdis, Egypt's most active militant group, has been arrested in a raid in the Sinai Peninsula, an army spokesman has said.

The army said that it had also arrested 25 other terrorist suspects in North Sinai, Ismailia, Port Said and Daqahliya.

Army and police cooperated in the raids, the spokesman added.

The raid comes amid an increasing number of terrorist attacks mainly targeting military and security forces.

Early Thursday, two members of the security forces were shot dead by militants in North Sinai.

Late Wednesday, militants attacked a navy vessel in the Mediterranean, leaving five injured and eight missing.

Ansar Bayt Al-Maqdis recently pledged allegiance to Islamic State. 

Militants have stepped up attacks on police and army forces since the ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in July 2013 and a deadly crackdown on his supporters that followed.