Egypt Enforces Emergency Rule After Sinai Blasts --- CAIRO— Egypt has declared a state of emergency in the northern Sinai after a terrorist attack Friday that killed at least 30 army soldiers. President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi declared in a broadcast speech that Egypt is fighting a mortal battle against terrorists, and that the war will be long. -- A group of Egyptians carried placards and chanted against the violence in Cairo Saturday, a day after a deadly suicide bombing in the Sinai and a separate gun attack, both against security checkpooints. -- The deaths of at least 30 troops struck a raw nerve among many Egyptians, who want an end to the violence and terrorism that has plagued parts of the country for months. -- A mother of one of the soldiers who died Friday shook her hands in despair and demanded retribution. An older man lamented that the victims were innocent and did not deserve to die. Another man said, “Egyptians are tired of violence, and it's time to put a stop to it.” -- The government declared a three-month state of emergency in the northern and central Sinai peninsula and closed the Rafah border crossing to Gaza until further notice. A nghtlong curfew - from 5 p.m. to 7 a.m. - also was imposed in towns and villages across the Sinai. -- A presidential decree affirmed that “the army and police will take all necessary measures to tackle the dangers of terrorism and its financing, to preserve the security of the region... and to protect the lives of Egyptians.” -- Sissi gave an emotional address Saturday. Flanked by top army officers, he said Egypt is facing an “external enemy” trying to wreak havoc. -- He says a foreign party was behind Friday's terror attack against the Egyptian Army, and that the bombing was intended to break the will of the Egyptian people and the Egyptian Army. "Beware," the president insisted, "of what they are trying to do to us." -- Sissi said Egypt is waging an “existential battle” against terrorism, one that will last a long time. But he predicted the country will “persevere and triumph in the end.” - More, http://www.voanews.com/content/egypt-army-answers-deadly-sinai-attacks-with-curfew-emergency-rules/2496396.html