CAIRO: An Egyptian security official says gunmen have attacked a police station in northern Sinai - the latest in a series of attacks in the increasingly volatile peninsula.

The gunmen sprayed the station in the city of El-Arish with gunfire and briefly clashed with the police on Thursday. The official says the attackers then fled in their truck. No one was hurt.

Egypt launched an offensive this week in Sinai following a brazen weekend attack that killed 16 Egyptian soldiers. Backed by warplanes for the first time in decades, the military said it was hunting down militants who have taken advantage of a security vacuum in Sinai, which borders Gaza and Israel.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not allowed to talk to the media.