A priest named Rafael Moussa from Mary Guirguis Church in Al-Arish, North Sinai was shot dead by anonymous gunmen, the Ministry of Interior said in an official statement.

Moussa was shot near Al-Arish’s industrial zone where he was having his car maintained.

A spokesperson for the Coptic Orthodox church said Moussa is originally from Ismailia and is father to two children. He was appointed to the Mary Guirguis church in 2012 along with another priest named Mina Aboud who in July 2013 was also shot dead.

Meanwhile, a bomb exploded in Al-Arish leaving one police conscript dead and a police officer and three other conscripts injured.

Sinai has become the scene of frequent clashes between militants and state security forces.

As a result, an extensive counter-insurgency operation was launched to curb militancy. The Egyptian government has imposed a state of emergency in the peninsula’s northern regions.