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World Bulletin / News Desk

Egypt's President Mohamed Mursi appointed a new national intelligence chief and sacked the governor of the north Sinairegion on Wednesday after gunmen killed 16 border guards there, a presidency spokesman said.

He appointed Mohamed Shehata as acting head of intelligence, sending Mourad Mwafi into retirement, presidency spokesman Yasser Ali told reporters.

Ali said Mursi also asked the head of Egypt's armed forces, Field Marshal Hussein Tantawi, to name a new head of military police, and named a new head of the presidential guard.

It was unclear how far Mursi had taken the decisions in consultation with the army, which has kept a tight grip on security policy since the overthrow of Mubarak.

But he made the changes after holding a national security meeting that brought together Tantawi as well as the prime minister and interior minister.

Explaining the changes, spokesman Ali said Egypt was going through a critical phase and it was necessary to protect "the Egyptian revolution and the Egyptian will".

Mursi, an Islamist, won Egypt's first open leadership contest in June to succeed Mubarak.

Mursi called for changes at the Interior Ministry, instructing the minister, Ahmed Gamal el-Din, to improve security and naming two senior ministerial assistants.