The General Prosecution started Thursday investigations into the attack on a checkpoint in North Sinai's city of Arish.

Five policemen were killed and three others injured when unknown armed elements opened fire at a police unit in charge of securing Al Atalawi square in North Sinai city of Arish.

According to a statement by the Interior Ministry in the early hours of Thursday, three police officers, a police sergeant and a conscript were killed in the attack and three other conscripts were wounded following an exchange of fire.

Following the attack, security apparatuses cordoned off the area and started a combing operation in search for the perpetrators, the statement had quoted a police media source as having said.

North Sinai Prosecution authorities checked the bodies of the dead, interrogated the injured at hospital and ordered forensic medicine and criminal evidence bodies to carry out their measures.

Also, the national security and criminal investigation authorities were asked by the prosecution for more inquiries about the incident and to arrest the armed elements.

Source: MENA