The Egyptian Interior Ministry said Friday that security forces have killed eight militants in the restive northern Sinai Peninsula, two days after a deadly attack left several policemen dead. The ministry said in a statement that it had received information about insurgents hiding in an olive farm south of the city of el-Arish. While hunting them down, a shootout ensued, killing the militants, who had in their possession five automatic rifles, a bomb and two explosive belts, according to the statement cited by the official MENA news agency. On Thursday, Egypt announced the killing of 14 militants linked to Wednesdays attack that left eight policemen dead near el-Arish. ISIS had claimed responsibility for the attack.