CAIRO, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- Egypt has decided to extend the nationwide state of emergency for another three months starting from Friday over security challenges, according to a presidential decree published in the official gazette on Thursday.
"As per the decree, the armed forces and the police will take all necessary measures to face the dangers of terrorism, maintain security across the country and protect public and private properties and the lives of citizens," said the decree issued by Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi.
Sisi first imposed a three-month nationwide state of emergency in April, following a twin bombings at two churches in northern provinces of Gharbiya and Alexandria that killed at least 47 and wounded over 120. A similar suicide bombing at a Cairo church in December 2016 killed at least 28 worshippers.
The Egyptian parliament approved in early July the extension of the state of emergency for three months from July 10.
According to the Egyptian constitution, the president can declare a three-month state of emergency and extend it only once after the parliament's approval. So, today's decision is considered a new announcement in form but an extension in fact.
Egypt has been suffering from a wave of terrorist attacks that killed hundreds of policemen and soldiers following the military removal of former Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in July 2013 in response to the mass protests against his one-year rule and his now-outlawed Muslim Brotherhood group.
Terror attacks had been centered in restive North Sinai province bordering Israel and the Palestinian Gaza Strip, before spreading to several provinces and later starting to target the Coptic minority in the most populous Arab state.
A constantly renewed three-month state of emergency and a curfew have been imposed on some parts of North Sinai since October 2014, following a terror attack on a military checkpoint in the province that killed at least 33 soldiers.
Most of the terrorist operations were claimed by the so-called Wilayat Sinai (Sinai State or Province), a Sinai-based group affiliated with the Islamic State (IS) militant group.
