Egypt to extend state of emergency for 3 months- official gazette

President El Sisi issued a decree to extend a curfew already in place

Egyptian president Abdel Fattah El Sisi. Simela Pantzartzi / EPA

Egypt is to extend its nationwide state of emergency for three months from April 14, the official gazette said early on Saturday.

Egypt first imposed the current state of emergency in April 2017 after two church bombings killed at least 45 people. It was extended in July and again in October then January.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi issued a decree on Saturday to extend a curfew already in place in a new declaration.

The latest extension was to allow security forces to "take (measures) necessary to confront the dangers and funding of terrorism and safeguard security in all parts of the country," the official gazette said.

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Egypt faces an ISIS insurgency in the remote North Sinai region that has killed hundreds of soldiers and policemen in recent years and has expanded to include attacks on civilians.

Other Islamists operating in the western desert bordering Libya have also attacked security forces.

Egypt also extended a curfew on parts of North Sinai that included areas of the border town of Rafah near Gaza from 7 p.m. to 6 am and around EL-Arish from 1am to 5 am, the official gazette said.