Al-Qaeda Terrorist Cell Dismantled in Tunisia

21 December 2012 5:00 pm | Amira Masrour |

Interior Minister Ali Laarayedh

Minister of the Interior Ali Laarayedh declared today in a press conference at the National Guard headquarters in the northern Tunis suburb of Aouina that an Al-Qaeda terrorist cell in Tunisia has been dismantled.

The terrorist cell carries the name of “The Militia of Uqba Ibn Nafaa in Tunisia” and sought to act as the Tunisian branch of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.

The Ministry pointed to 16 people that were arrested and 18 others that are being pursued, reported Mosaique FM.

According to the same source, special operations forces have confiscated guns, bullets, plans, binoculars for military use, and military fatigues as well as deciphered codes. The objectives of this branch was to impose Sharia by force in Tunisia.

At the press conference, the minister said that these terrorists were hiding for a few weeks in the western mountains of Chambi and Ain Drahem, adding that the majority of them hail from from the governorate of Kasserine. Furthermore, they were known for their active participation in events organized by Ansar Sharia, which is an Islamist militia group known for its advocacy of the strict implementaion of Sharia.

Laarayedh added that those arrested were no older than 30 years of age and had been trained in weapon use in Algeria and Libya.


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Mondher Belhadj says:

28 December 2012 at 18:34

Only astate of law can irradicate these organisation. We know unfortunately that this governement is reluctant to take any serious action against these outlaws. That this governement shares their ideologies about the islamisation of the country, so our expectation is that no serious action will be taken against them, and most probably they will be used to mark points in the comming election. The losers are the democratic parties and the women because Ennahdha Party is for toppling the woman and deprive them from their access to the equality with man in modern Tunisian siciety.

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Jerry Sorkin says:

22 December 2012 at 09:08

Hopefully, the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Justice and all officials in Tunisia will take this seriously and detain and prosecute to the full extent of the law…unlike the weak showing and lack of credible prosecution following the Sept. 14th attack on the US Embassy. Until this government shows that security has the highest level of importance, a democratic Tunisia can truly be Democratic. In addition, any hopes of investment in Tunisia, by Tunisians or foreign investment will continue to be withheld.

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- cee says:
  
  23 December 2012 at 19:47
  
  amen!!
  
  Reply
Mark says:

21 December 2012 at 19:53

good that some of these people have been caught…but if others are still on the run then it has not been dismantled rather spread out. The country needs to confront these people if they are trying to force anything on any one however it is hard to believe anything of late as the stories keep changing…lets hope this one is true which means more Tunisian people are not exposed to this type of fundamentalism….

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Al-Qaeda Terrorist Cell Dismantled in Tunisia

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