At least four killed in clash in Egypt's Sinai

At least four security personnel were killed in clashes at a police compound in the city of El Arish in Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, two security sources said on Monday.

The clashes broke out on Sunday when a group of detainees seized weapons inside El Arish's Central Security compound in northern Sinai and attacked forces stationed there, said the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The four dead included a police colonel, they said. Six people were also wounded.

The interior ministry did not respond to a request for comment and there was no official statement from authorities about the incident.

Egyptian security forces battled an insurgency by Islamist militants in northern Sinai for years and have recently extended their control over the coastal area, which runs between the border with the Gaza Strip and the northern end of the Suez Canal.

Northern Sinai has still seen occasional attacks and the army and police maintain a heavy presence.