CAIRO — Egypt's President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi announced on Monday that he will not be extending a national state of emergency that has been in place for the past several years.

"Egypt has become, thanks to its great people and loyal men, an oasis for security and stability in region. So, I have decided for the first time in years not to extend the state of emergency nationwide," the Egyptian president announced in a short statement on his social media accounts.

"This decision was in fact made by the Egyptian people over the past years through their honest and loyal participation in all development efforts," he added.

"As I declare this decision, I remember with all respect and appreciation our heroic martyrs, without whom we could not have achieved stability or security," El-Sisi said.

A nationwide state of emergency was imposed in April 2017 after two church bombings killed 47 people in Alexandria and Tanta. It has since been continually renewed for three months at a time in accordance with the constitution. — Agencies