CAIRO, Nov. 24 (Aswat Masriya) - A car explosion outside a hotel in North Sinai on Tuesday morning killed three policemen tasked with securing a hotel that was housing judges overseeing the parliamentary elections, according to MENA news agency.

Twelve other police were injured as well as two civilians, said MENA.

The blast was caused by a car loaded with explosives which went off outside the Swiss Inn hotel in Arish in a crossfire with police.

Arish is the largest urban area in North Sinai.

The targeted hotel was housing judges overseeing the second phase of parliamentary elections, which ended last night, as well as journalists covering the polls.

The blast destroyed the facade of the hotel and damaged several doors and windows, also causing partial collapses to some walls, MENA reported. 

Security forces have close off the international road connecting Arish to Qantara which is close to the site of the explosion.

MENA had earlier reported that security forces thwarted a car bomb as it attempted to ram into the Swiss Inn, detonating the vehicle themselves before the car reached the hotel.

Militancy inside Egypt has surged since the military ouster of former president Mohamed Mursi in July 2013. While the vast majority of bombings and shootings take place in North Sinai, other parts of the country have been affected too.

Security personnel are themain  targets of attacks but in May, three prosecutors and a driver were killed when gunmen opened fire on their vehicle in North Sinai's Arish city.

Egyptian authorities say they have killed hundreds of militants in Sinai in security crackdowns.