President Sisi declares 3-month state of emergency in Egypt

TIL Desk/World/Cairo/President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi has declared a three-month state of emergency in Egypt and ordered military special forces to protect vital infrastructure after two powerful church bombings by the Islamic State terror group killed at least 45 people and wounded more than 100 others.

Sisi announced the state of emergency nationwide for three months in a short televised address last night, following the blasts that targeted the minority Coptic Christians on Palm Sunday, one of the holiest days of the Christian calendar. Before that, Sisi had called a National Defence Council meeting in the afternoon. Chaired by the president and made up of the prime minister, the speaker of parliament, the defence minister and the commanders of Egyptian armed forces, this was the second such meeting in five months, local reports said.

He said that a higher council for fighting terrorism and extremism will also be established. The Egyptian government in its its initial response has ordered military special forces to assist police in securing vital state facilities across the country. The security forces have been put on alert in anticipation of more attacks. The Islamic State group claimed the bombings that killed at least 45 people and injured nearly 120 at two churches in Tanta and Alexandria cities as worshippers celebrated the Palm Sunday.