An Egyptian official on Tuesday denied the presence of Al-Qaeda in Sinai.
Several news reports on Monday published what they described as the "first statement" from a group calling itself Al-Qaeda in the Sinai Peninsula.
According to the reports, the statement called for the establishment of an Islamic emirate in Sinai, for Sharia to be the only source of legislation, and for the armed forces to scrap Egypt's peace agreement with Israel.
Last Friday, violent clashes broke out between assailants from a radical religious group and security forces at a police station in Arish. The fighting left two officers and three civilians dead, as well as 20 injured.
North Sinai Governor Abdel Wahhab Mabrouk told reporters Tuesday that Al-Qaeda has absolutely no presence in Sinai.
He added that the apparent "first statement" was really issued by an unidentified group that calls itself Al-Qaeda in the Sinai Peninsula.
He also said that the statement was likely distributed by radical armed groups that are abusing Sinai's deteriorated security situation.
