Three minor explosions hit the North Sinai city of El-Arish Friday, though no casualties have been reported, according to Ahram Arabic news website.

The three improvised bombs were targeting security vehicles that were combing the main roads in the area.

Security forces are currently searching for the suspects, according to the Ahram report.

The northern part of the mountainous Sinai Peninsula has been the epicenter of an Islamist insurgency that spiked following the 2013 ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi after mass protests against his one-year rule.

Hundreds of soldiers and policemen have since been killed, while hundreds of civilians have been caught up in the line of fire.

Last month, seven people – including judicial officials and security personnel – were killed and eight were injured in El-Arish after attacks on the Swiss Inn Hotel.

In October, Egypt’s President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi announced the extension of a state of emergency for three months in parts of North Sinai.

The state of emergency, which covers El-Arish and other surrounding areas, went into effect on 27 Tuesday October.

A nighttime curfew imposed in the same areas from – 6am (04:00 GMT) to 7pm (17:00 GMT) – has also been extended. Only El-Arish will see a four-hour curfew starting from 1am.

Short link:

