The Egyptian authorities have introduced a three-month state of emergency in the north of the Sinai Peninsula after a series of terror attacks on the army checkpoints that killed some 30 people and wounded dozens of others.
The measure comes into force at 0300 GMT on Saturday "for a duration of three months," the presidency said in a statement. A curfew is due to be introduced in the region.
A suicide bomber drove a car with some five tons of explosives into an army checkpoint in the town of Sheikh Zuweid, a few kilometers from Gaza, on Friday. As a result the checkpoint was completely ruined and two armored fighting vehicles were destroyed.
The terrorists later attacked the site with guns and a rocket-propelled grenade. Some 28 soldiers were wounded and several of them are currently in a critical condition.
In response, the Egyptian army has launched a large-scale operation against the gunmen in the north of the Sinai Peninsula, involving armored fighting vehicles and special forces.
Egypt also carries out air strikes against the terrorists.
No group has claimed responsibility for the attacks on Egypt's military, which are the deadliest in decades.