Egypt today started evacuating residents along the Rafah border in the Sinai peninsula to create a buffer zone in the violence-hit region, officials said today.
The first stage will target evacuating residents 300 metres from the border, said Mohamed el-Saadani, the head of Rafah city Council.
The decision came after Egypt's National Defence Council, convened by President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi, declared a three-month state of emergency on Friday and a curfew in different parts of Sinai following a major terror attack that left at least 31 Egyptian soldiers dead.
Every evacuated family will receive an amount of 300 Egyptian pounds per month for three months, el-Saadani added during a meeting with residents in the Rafah city council.
The army will start with demolishing houses in the first stage of evacuation, 500 meters from the border.
The army also intensified its operations against terrorists across Sinai today and coordinating with the Rafah city Council to evacuate residents along the border.
