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Egypt extends state of emergency in Sinai

November 15, 2016 at 2:18 pm

 

Egypt’s House of Representatives has approved a decision by President Abdel Fattah Al-Sisi to extend the state of emergency in a number of northern areas in the Sinai Peninsula by another three months, state TV announced yesterday.

This will be the ninth time that the state of emergency has been extended since Daesh-affiliated militants killed 33 Egyptian security personnel in two attacks in the cities of Sheikh Zoweid and Arish.

Egypt has been facing a mounting militant insurgency, primarily in the Sinai Peninsula, since the military ouster of then-President Mohamed Morsi in July 2013.

Egyptian state TV reported that the state of emergency is imposed in the areas from Tal Rafah in the east through to Awja in the west. In the north, the areas covered by the state of emergency extend from the west of Arish along the coast to Rafah. In the south, it covers Jabal Halal to Awja.

A curfew is imposed in these areas from 19:00 to 06:00. The city of Arish is exempt from the curfew.

“In a short period of time, Sinai will be completely cleansed from all terrorist hotbeds, and it will return as an additional strength for the nation,” Parliament Speaker Ali Abdel Aal said.

“Only a few issues remain,” he added.

Defence ministry official Mamdouh Shahin urged the members of parliament to support the army until terrorists have been completely defeated in Sinai.