7 Egyptian security officers kidnapped in Sinai

Unknown militants kidnapped seven Egyptian security officers in the Sinai Peninsula on Thursday, an incident that took place near the border with Israel, media reports said.

Three policemen and four army officers, who were travelling to the city of Rafah, were stopped by a group of unidentified militants and kidnapped. Police said that it was not yet clear who was behind the abduction.

Hardline Islamist groups based in North Sinai have repeatedly launched attacks both on Egyptian targets and Israel following the ouster of President Hosni Mubarak in 2011.