Egypt extends state of emergency for 3 months

According to the decree, the armed forces and the police will take the necessary measures "to face the perils of terrorism and its finance, maintain security nationwide, protect public and private properties and preserve the lives of citizens."

Under the Egyptian constitution, presidential decisions to renew the state of emergency must be approved by the country's parliament.

Sisi first imposed a three-month nationwide state of emergency in April 2017, following a twin bombing at two churches in the northern provinces of Gharbiya and Alexandria that killed at least 47 and wounded over 120 others.

Egypt has been facing a wave of terror activities that killed hundreds of policemen, soldiers and civilians since the popularly backed military ouster of former President Mohamed Morsi in 2013 and the later security crackdown on his loyalists, mostly from the currently outlawed Muslim Brotherhood group.

Most of the attacks were claimed by the Wilayat Sinai, a Sinai-based group affiliated with the Islamic State terrorist organization.