CAIRO, Jan 29 (Aswat Masriya) - A policeman sustained gunshot wounds to his head on Thursday after four unknown assailants opened fire at him in upper Egypt's Minya governorate, security and medical sources said.

The assailants, which fled the scene, targeted the officer as he was heading to work. He was injured and transferred to the Malawi Hospital for treatment, the sources added.

Bombings and shootings targeting security forces have surged since the ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Mursi in July 2013.

Ministry of Interior Spokesman Hany Abdel Lattif said that 153 policemen were killed in 2014 alone.