Security-Egypt - Egyptian Minister of Information Ossama Heykal on Saturday announced measures aimed at restoring security across the country, following recent demonstrations during which protesters stormed the Israeli Embassy in Cairo. The measures include the activation of the state of emergency laws, and clauses punishing sit-ins and disruption of production at industries.

The minister spoke after a joint crisis meeting of the Egyptian Cabinet and the interim ruling miiltary authorities, a day after Egyptian demonstrators broke into the Israeli Embassy in Cairo and attacked several key ministry of interior buildings in the Egyptian capital.

Heykal said protesters had exploited the 'extreme self-restraint' practiced by the police in dealing with Friday's events, and warned that the government would not allow a repetition of such incidents that harm Egypt's image and international status.

Heykal announced that 38 demonstrators, who were arrested during the protests, had been transferred to the state security prosecution for trial.

In a separate development, the Egyptian coalition of police officers has asked the military authorities to issue new laws to ensure the immunity of security personnel to enable them to better deal with security threats at this 'volatile' transitional stage.

Meanwhile, the Egyptian health ministry said on Saturday that the toll from Friday's violence had risen to three dead and 1,049 injured.

The ministry also said a police officer died from the injuries he sustained in last month's Israeli attack on Egyptian soil, raising the number of Egyptians who died in the attack to six.

Military and riot police reinforcements are now protecting the Israeli embassy, while only a few hundred protesters are still demonstrating outside the embassy.

Egyptian protesters have been calling for the expulsion of the Israeli Ambassador in Cairo, in the aftermath of the killing of the security personnel.

The Israeli ambassador left the Egyptian capital for Tel Aviv aboard a plane sent by his government immediately after the embassy was stormed by protesters on Friday.

Pana 11/09/2011