CAIRO, Jul 23 (Aswat Masriya) - An explosive device planted in a military vehicle in North Sinai's Rafah went off on Thursday, killing a military officer and three soldiers, the armed forces spokesman announced.

The explosion left three more military personnel injured, said spokesman Mohamed Samir in a statement. Military personnel were combing an area in the town of Rafah when the device detonated.

Egypt has been battling a wave of militancy since the military ouster of Islamist President Mohamed Mursi in July 2013, after mass protests against his rule. The majority of attacks target security forces.

The Sinai-based Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis has claimed responsibility for the majority of attacks carried out in Sinai since mid-2013. The militant group changed its name to 'Sinai Province' last November, after pledging allegiance to Islamic State fighters in Syria and Iraq.