Egyptian Interior Minister Ahmed Gamal ordered Sunday to sack the security chief of North Sinai Governorate, Ahmed Bakr, over an assault by local militants on police car Saturday afternoon in Arish city, state media reported.

The attack, carried out by masked militants, took place in Wady Bridge Street of Arish, the capital city of North Sinai, and left three policemen killed and another one injured.

A security official told Xinhua that a Jihadist movement is responsible for the attack, based on previous information that the same movement has sent threat messages, saying that they will target the police and army institution as well as tourists.

Following the attack, the police personnels protested, threatening to close all the roads leading to Arish unless they will be granted all necessary powers to defend themselves.