Egypt was set to close the Rafah border crossing with Gaza Strip as part of an emergency measure in the wake of the deadliest attack on Egyptian security forces in the nearby Sinai Peninsula that killed more than two dozen soldiers.
Egypt declared the three-month state of emergency Friday in the north and center of the Sinai Peninsula after a suicide car bombing killed more than 30 soldiers, the presidency said.
The measures would begin on Saturday at 0300 GMT “for a duration of three months,” the presidency said in a statement.
The decision was also taken to close the Rafah crossing into the Gaza Strip.
“The army and the police will take all necessary measures to tackle the dangers of terrorism and its financing, to preserve the security of the region… and protect the lives of citizens,” the presidential decree said.
The decision to invoke a state of emergency came after 30 soldiers were killed and dozens of others wounded in the attack in an agricultural area northwest of El-Arish, the main town in north Sinai.
The bombing was carried out by a suspected jihadist who rammed the checkpoint with a vehicle packed with explosives, security officials said.
Gunmen also shot dead an officer and wounded two soldiers on Friday at another checkpoint south of El-Arish, Agence France Presse quoted security officials as saying.
Since Morsi’s ouster, more than 1,400 of his supporters have been killed in a crackdown by the authorities.
Over 15,000 others have been jailed including Morsi and the top leadership of his Muslim Brotherhood, and more than 200 sentenced to death in speedy trials.
Source: AFP & Al Arabiya
