An Egyptian police officer has been shot dead in a security operation against militants on the outskirts of the capital, Cairo.

State TV says the incident took place on Thursday when the security forces were trying control over the village of Kerdasah where gunmen killed eleven policemen last month.

Over a dozen armed men were arrested during the operation.

The Egyptian troops had earlier stormed the village and clashed with gunmen.

“The operation is to clear the village of terrorist elements,” a security official said on the condition of anonymity.

The official added that added that an army trooper was wounded in the operation.

On August 12, Kerdasah police station was hit with rocket propelled grenades after security forces launched a crackdown on two camps of supporters of ousted president Mohamed Morsi in Cairo. The attack left 11 policemen dead.

The Kerdasah operation came three days after a move in the central town of Delga.

They recaptured the town that had been under the control of supporters of the ex-president for more than two months.

On Wednesday, three Egyptian soldiers were killed and 10 others injured in a car bomb attack targeting a military intelligence office in Sinai Peninsula.

The Sinai Peninsula has long been considered a safe haven for militants who use 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.

Since the ouster of Egypt’s President Mohamed Morsi on July 3, militant groups have launched almost daily attacks in Sinai, killing members of the security forces. In response, Cairo has launched offensives against the militants, sending thousands of troops backed by tanks and heavy equipment into the region.