CAIRO (AP) — Egypt has extended its state of emergency for another three months.

President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi's decision was published in the official gazette on Sunday. It should be approved by parliament within seven days and go into effect on July 14.

Egypt has been under a state of emergency, after an Islamic State affiliate bombed two Coptic churches in April last year killing at least 44 people.

Egypt has been battling Islamic militants for years, but the insurgency gained strength after the 2013 overthrow of an elected but divisive Islamist president. The militants have mainly targeted security forces and Christians.

In February, Egypt launched a massive security operation against militants in Sinai, parts of Egypt's Nile Delta and the Western Desert.