CAIRO, Nov 16 (Aswat Masriya) – Security forces raided on Sunday a farm in the governorate of Sharqiya hosting "one of the most dangerous cells" of the militant group Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis and killed a member of group, Egypt's armed forces said.

The armed forces added in a statement that members of the second field army, Homeland Security Forces and Central Security Forces also arrested three more members of the militant group during the raid.

Militants have stepped up attacks targeting security forces in Egypt, particularly in the Sinai Peninsula, since the army's ouster of Islamist President Mohamed Mursi in July 2013, which followed mass protests against his rule.

At least 30 military personnel were killed in a suicide blast which targeted a security checkpoint in Sinai's Sheikh Zuweid on October 24, in the worst militant attack since Mursi's ouster. 

Egypt's most dangerous militant group, the Sinai-based Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis, claimed responsibility for the attack in a video released on Friday. 

Ansar previously claimed responsibility for several attacks against Egypt's security forces after Mursi's ouster in July 2013, including an attempt in September, 2013 to assassinate the interior minister as well as several attacks targeting security headquarters and convoys.

The militant group pledged allegiance to the leader of the Islamic State fighters in Iraq and Syria last Monday. 

Islamic State fighters have controlled large areas of Iraq and Syria recently. They have carried out a number of mass executions and recently beheaded two American journalists and an aid worker and two British nationals.