CAIRO, Jan. 19 (Aswat Masriya) - A police officer and two conscripts were injured Tuesday as a bomb went off in North Sinai's capital city Arish, the interior ministry said. 

In a statement published on its Facebook page, the ministry said that a roadside bomb went off as a military vehicle was passing by. 

The statement added that the injured are currently being hospitalised. 

Security forces have been engaged in a "war against terrorism" as militancy surged significantly in North Sinai since the military ouster of then-President Mohamed Mursi in July 2013, following mass protests against his rule.

The armed forces, along with interior ministry, launched last September the "Martyr's Right" military operation, which was dubbed by the military as Egypt’s “largest” military action against “terrorists” in North Sinai. The operation has claimed the lives of more than 500 militants in the area. 

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

The operation's second phase is currently ongoing in North Sinai.