An Egyptian military officer has been killed and three soldiers wounded in a shooting incident in northeast of the capital city of Cairo, security sources say.

The incident occurred on Tuesday when gunmen opened fire on an army vehicle in the Nile Delta province of Sharkia.

The attack raised concerns that an ongoing insurgency in the Sinai Peninsula is spilling beyond the lawless region, which has become a safe haven for militants using the region as a base for terror activities.

In recent months, the remote desert region has been the scene of growing violence and militant attacks on security forces.

Militants groups have stepped up their attacks on members of Egyptian security forces since the army’s ouster of President Mohamed Morsi on July 3.

The surge in violence prompted Cairo to launch a major offensive against the militants and send thousands of troops backed by tanks and heavy equipment into the region.