Cairo, November 4 (RHC)-- At least twelve people, among them civilians, have lost their lives and 20 others sustained injuries in a car bomb explosion that targeted security personnel in Egypt’s volatile Sinai Peninsula.

Security sources, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the incident took place in the city of el-Arish, situated 344 kilometers (214 miles) northeast of the capital, Cairo, on Wednesday when a vehicle rigged with explosives was detonated in front of the police department building.

The Takfiri militant group Velayat Sinai has claimed responsibility for the act of violence.

The Egyptian military has been engaged in operations to quell acts of terrorism and militancy in the Sinai Peninsula.  It views the volatile region as a sanctuary for extremists.