CAIRO, Jan 24 (Aswat Masriya) – Egypt’s President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi issued a republican decree on Tuesday extending the state of emergency enforced in North Sinai for three more months.

The extension of the emergency rule is effective as of Jan. 30.

A curfew that starts at 7:00 pm and lasts until 6:00 am the next day is put in place in accordance with emergency rule, except in Al-Arish where the curfew is shortened to only five hours from 1:00 am to 5:00 am.  

On Jan. 9, at least eight policemen were killed and at least ten were injured, including three civilians, in an attack on a checkpoint in North Sinai.

During the 65th commemoration of Police Day on Tuesday, Sisi stated that Egypt is "in a war in Sinai", adding that tons of explosives have been seized until now. 

The state of emergency has been extended for three months at a time since it was initially declared by Sisi in October 2014 in reaction to a militant attack that killed 33 security personnel.

Militant insurgency has surged in North Sinai since the military ouster of then-president Mohamed Morsi in July 2013 after mass protests against his rule.

Islamic State-affiliated militants are the most active in the area, mainly targeting security personnel.