Tunisia-al Qaeda: Mine explosion kills one soldier, wounds three

A soldier died Friday in the blast of a land mine allegedly planted by an al-Qaeda-linked terror group, in the restive mountainous region of Kasserine region, according to statement by the Defense Ministry Saturday.

The incident, which happened during army routine patrol, in the region near the Algerian border, also wounded three other soldiers according to the statement.

The slain soldiers was 26.

The military operation to track down terrorists is ongoing, said the Defense Ministry.

Okba Ibn Nafaa, a local affiliate of al-Qaeda in the Maghreb (AQIM) using the area as it bastion, claimed responsibility for the attack.

The group said it detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) targeting Tunisian forces, SITE Intelligence Group reported.

The terror group said the attack was a reprisal of the killing of one of its fighters in Nebeur, Tunisia, on April 23.

The North African country has witnessed multiple attacks since 2011 following the uprising that ousted autocratic leader Ben Ali, now in exile in Saudi Arabia.

Several attacks in 2015, in Tunis and Sousse killed at least 70 people, mostly foreign tourists.