Tunisia: Clashes erupt in Ben Gardane, near Libya

Deadly clashes have erupted between security forces and armed men in the Tunisian city of Ben Gardane near the border with Libya.
The Tunisian Ministry of Interior said at least 21 attackers were killed in the violence, along with at least one soldier.
Assailants simultaneously attacked an army barracks and national guards with heavy weaponry, including rocket-propelled grenades. An ambulance was also stolen in the clashes.

Inside Story: Where is post-revolution Tunisia headed?

While the situation has calmed down, authorities said a curfew will be implemented in the city on Monday evening.
"We have decided to impose a curfew in Ben Guerdane on both vehicles and pedestrians... starting from today [Monday] between 7pm [18:00 GMT] and 5am (04:00 GMT)," an interior ministry statement said.
A security and military campaign began last week in Ben Gardane, after Tunisian security officials said "terrorist groups" sneaked into the country.
Officials said the campaign followed raids in Libya against fighters of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).

---

READ MORE: Hopes of a better life in Tunisia hang by a thread 

---

Fighters trained in Libya carried out several attacks on Tunisia last year.
Al Jazeera's Nazanine Moshiri, reporting from Tunisia, described Ben Gardane as a strategically important town that is the "gateway to Libya". It serves as a hub for arms trafficking and smuggling of everyday goods.
"Tunisia has built a fence along the border with Libya but that doesn't seem to stop the movement of armed attackers coming in from Libya and targeting the army and security forces," she said.
"In the past week we have seen several incidents of people coming across."
Source: Al Jazeera
This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service - if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at http://ift.tt/jcXqJW.


from Al Jazeera English http://ift.tt/1W2mT19
via IFTTT