Tunisia dismantles 346 Terrorist cells in 2017

Tunisia dismantled 346 terrorist cells in 2017, involved in training, plotting attacks and recruiting foreign fighters, Interior Minister Lotfi Brahem said.

“Over 180 terrorist cells, 40 recruitment networks and 6 armed terrorist groups as well as 120 cells involved in training terrorists were dismantled in 2017,” the minister said before a parliamentary commission.

More than 29,000 were banned from travel during the same year as a precautionary measure to prevent them from joining terrorist groups in conflict zones, he said, adding that these individuals are subject of an investigation.

Despite some improvements in border security, Tunisia has a porous border with Libya, where conflict is persisting.

Tunisian security forces have repeatedly been targeted in terrorist-related incidents, mainly in border areas including in the Chaambi Mountains.

On 1 November 2017, 2 traffic police officers in the Bardo area of central Tunis were attacked by an individual with a knife. One of the officers later died from their wounds. A suspect was detained by security forces

The terrorist attacks hit hard the tourism sector notably after 38 foreign tourists were killed on June 2015 in a terrorist attack at Port El Kantaoui near Sousse.