The Egyptian presidency on Friday night declared a three-month state of emergency in parts of northern Sinai Peninsula after at least 30 people were killed in an attack against a local military checkpoint.

The measure would take effect at 5 a.m. local time (0300 GMT) Saturday, the presidency said in a statement following an emergency meeting of the National Security Council convened by President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi.

The president also ordered a curfew starting at 5 p.m. (1500 GMT) Friday and ending at 7 a.m. (0500 GMT) Saturday in areas near Egypt's borders with Israel and the Gaza Strip.

The Rafah crossing, the Gaza Strip's only non-Israeli access to the outside world, has been closed, the state-run Nile TV reported.

No group has claimed responsibility for the suicide car bombing attack in the afternoon, which also left 28 wounded.

Extremist groups Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis, or Champions of Jerusalem, and Ajnad Misr, or Soldiers of Egypt, have claimed responsibility for most of similar attacks over the past year, in which at least 500 security men were killed.

Assaults on security men and premises have been growing since the ouster of former President Mohamed Morsi by the military in July 2013 and the following massive crackdown on his supporters, which left about 1,000 of them killed and thousands more arrested.

Go to Forum >>0 Comment(s)