CAIRO, Jul 9 (Aswat Masriya) - A policeman was killed in North Sinai's al-Arish city in a shooting on Saturday, Egypt’s interior ministry said.

Unidentified men fired at the low-ranking policeman, identified as Galal Mohamed Soliman al-Damanhoury, in the vicinity of a police station in Arish, leaving him dead, said a statement by the ministry.

Security forces are intensifying their efforts to capture the perpetrators, the ministry added.

Militancy inside Egypt has seen a significant rise since the military ouster of Islamist President Mohamed Mursi in July 2013, following mass protests against his rule.

Most of the insurgent activities which target security personnel and facilities occur in the restive Sinai peninsula, particularly in North Sinai.

The group known as "Sinai Province", affiliated with Islamic State fighters in Syria and Iraq, claim most of the attacks in the area.

The military in conjunction with the police forces have embarked on several security campaigns in North Sinai aimed to fight militants. 

According to separate statements by the armed forces over the past year alone, hundreds of suspected militants have been killed and hundreds more arrested in multiple security campaigns launched by the army.

Aswat Masriya could not independently verify the content of these statements. Anti-terrorism legislation imposes heavy fines on news organisations that contradict official statements.