The Tunisian Ministry of Defence announced that armed units fired on three suspect vehicles that were illegally crossing from Libya.
The Ministry said in a statement on Sunday that forces stationed in the city of Remada, in the deep south of the country, monitored suspicious movements by three vehicles coming from Libya. These vehicles were pursued, and their wheels were shot at, stopping two vehicles, with the third managing to flee. The statement indicated that after inspecting the vehicles, two Tunisian nationals were arrested.
This comes hours after a terrorist operation took place against a police patrol in the eastern city of Sousse. A member of the National Guard was killed, and another was wounded, while security forces managed to kill three terrorists.
These incidents highlight one of the most significant challenges confronting the Tunisian authorities, who are suffering from the complex situation in Libya. They fear the repercussions on their national security, especially with the continued transfer of weapons, mercenaries, and foreign militants to western Libya, close to the Tunisian border.
To counter attempts to infiltrate and smuggle weapons from Libya, as well as to curb smuggling operations, Tunisian authorities have placed a berm on a part of its border with Libya. This has a length of more than 200km and runs along a trench existing since 2016.
Since the revolution that toppled Ben Ali in 2011, Tunisia has witnessed an increase in extremist and terrorist movements. This terror surge has resulted in the killing of dozens of soldiers and police officers, as well as many civilians, including 59 foreign tourists.