Tunisia’s government said dozens of Islamist militants attacked army and police posts in the town of Ben Guerdan.
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Interior ministry spokesman Yasser Mesbah said the search for any militants still at large was continuing in the border area. The two ministries went on to call on residents of the town “to remain at home” . United Kingdom military experts are helping the Tunisian army to protect its borders, while German and USA experts are supposed to train more Tunisian troops about border security.
Terrorists, some of them from ISIS, have waged brutal attacks on Tunisia in recent years, including on Tunis’ Bardo museum and a seaside resort in Sousse.
Although officials did not identify the attackers, this was the first such assault to target a Tunisian military installation, and most suspicions pointed to militants based in Libya as being behind the raid.
Tunisia has become increasingly concerned about violence spilling across its frontier as Islamic State has expanded in Libya, taking advantage of the country’s chaos to control the city of Sirte and setting up training camps there.
Ben Guerdan lies close to the border with Libya.
President Beji Caid Essebsi condemned as an unprecedented militant attack in Ben Guerdane.
“France stands alongside Tunisia which, again, has been targeted because it is a symbol of democracy”, Hollande said in a statement.
Besides, he underlined the importance of co-ordination and anticipatory action of the security forces who, he said, favour “a rapid and efficient reactions” commending the courage of the local people of Ben Guerdane.
While Tunisia has been held up as a model of democratic transition since its 2011 uprising against ruler Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali, the North African country is also caught up in a struggle with Islamist militancy.
The Tunisian army deployed reinforcements and helicopters to the area and authorities were hunting several attackers believed to be on the run.
It was not clear if the attackers crossed over the border, but it was the type of militant operation Tunisia’s government had feared as it prepares for potential spillover from Libya, where Islamic State militants have gained ground.
Last month, a US air strike killed more than 40 militants in Sabratha, a coastal town near the Tunisian border.
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The interior and defense ministries said in a joint statement Monday that the dead included 21 attackers, one Tunisian soldier and four civilians.
