Egypt police officer kidnapped by militants in Sinai

Unidentified militants kidnapped a police officer in Egypt's North Sinai province on Sunday, the state-run MENA news agency reported.

The officer was kidnapped during his return from work in Rafah to his home in Al-Arish, according to a security source.

MENA identified the officer as Omar al-Desouki, who works in the ports security division.

Police is investigating the incident and has started gathering evidence to track and capture the perpetrators.

No one has yet claimed responsibility for the kidnapping, but the Sinai-based and al-Qaida-linked Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis (ABM) faction has declared responsibility for most of the anti-government aggression since ex-Islamist President Mohamed Morsi's ouster in July 2013.

Egypt has been facing a rising wave of terrorism since Morsi was overthrown by the military, following mass protests against his one-year rule.

The subsequent crackdown on Morsi's supporters left around 1, 000 dead with thousands more injured and arrested.

Anti-government attacks have since spread from the tense Sinai province to Cairo and other provinces across the country, leaving hundreds dead. Enditem