At least six Egyptian policemen were killed and two others injured on Tuesday in a blast that hit their armored vehicle in the country’s restive Sinai Peninsula.

At least six Egyptian policemen were killed and two others injured on Tuesday in a blast that hit their armored vehicle in the country's restive Sinai Peninsula, the Interior Ministry said.

"As a joint army-police force was passing on the Rafah-Arish road in northern Sinai, an explosive charge went off at one of the armored vehicles," the ministry said in a statement.

The blast left six policemen dead, including a police officer, and two others wounded, the ministry said, adding that security troops are currently cordoning off the area for investigation.

The attack came two days after the ministry announced the killing of seven "terrorists" affiliated with the Ansar Beit al-Maqdis militant group, whom the authorities accuse of involvement in three major separate attacks that left a total of 33 troops dead earlier.

For the past year, the Egyptian army has waged a major offensive against militant groups said to be based in the Sinai Peninsula, which shares borders with both Israel and the Gaza Strip.

The region has seen a spate of attacks by unknown militants on security personnel since last year's ouster of former president Mohammad Mursi by the army.