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A suicide bomber has targeted a police barracks in Egypt's restive Sinai peninsula, killing one civilian and injuring 24 policemen, the BBC reported, citing officials.

The attack, on Tuesday morning, was near the provincial capital, al-Arish.

The jihadist group, Islamic State-affiliated Sinai Province has claimed responsibility, Egypt's Al-Yawm al-Sabi news website reports.

A long-running Islamist insurgency in the Sinai peninsula has increased since President Morsi's overthrow in 2013.

Previous incidents have been blamed on the same group.

Formerly known as Ansar Beit al-Maqdis (Champions of Jerusalem), in November 2014 it pledged allegiance to Islamic State and changed its name to Sinai Province.

The official Twitter account for the group has not made any reference to the attack, however.

"The bomber drove a water tanker filled with explosives into the rear gate of the base," a security official told AFP news agency.

"As the vehicle approached, police fired on it, detonating the explosives inside."

Security sources who spoke to Reuters news agency said police action had prevented the bomber from entering the barracks, and that the civilian had been passing by chance when the attacker hit.