July 29, 2013
By BOUAZZA BEN BOUAZZA Associated Press
TUNIS, Tunisia — Gunmen ambushed a Tunisian army patrol Monday in a mountainous border region known as an Islamic militant stronghold, killing at least eight soldiers, the presidential spokesman said.
Daily Reporter
http://www.greenfieldreporter.com/view/story/850ef413b4794405846155f04aaeadac/ML-Tunisia-Ambush
تم إنشاءه بتاريخ الإثنين, 24 حزيران/يونيو 2013
المـــراسل : تمكن الجيش الوطني اليوم من إكتشاف نفق في جبل الشعانبي خلال عملية تمشيط في المنطقة والذي يصل إلى معتمدية فوسانة من ولاية القصرين.
Two Tunisian army officers were killed Thursday (June 6th) in the Jebel Chaambi region, the defence ministry confirmed, calling it “a serious development”.
The home-made bomb exploded during the ongoing military campaign to hunt down terrorists holed up in the mountain forests near Algeria.
This latest incident in Dhogra “targeted all those who use the track, whether citizens, military or security personnel”, the defence ministry said, urging “all citizens to be cautious and deal positively with the military and security forces to protect the country and people against this imminent danger”.
Some 45 suspects have been arrested in connection with the terrorism in Jebel Chaambi. Saber Mechri, owner of the storehouse where a large quantity of weapons was found in Mnihla, was among the detainees.
Members of radical salafist group Ansar al-Sharia are among the militants fighting Tunisian forces in the mountains, the interior ministry said.
“Those involved in Jebel Chaambi events include Kamel Gadhgadhi, presumed killer of prominent opposition leader Chokri Belaid, and Abou Iyadh, leader of Tunisia’s jihadist salafists who is wanted for planning the attack on the US embassy,” the interior ministry said.
On Thursday morning, specialised security units raided the Hammam-Lif home of Abou Iyadh (real name Seif Allah Ibn Hussein) but the fugitive was not there.
Also on Thursday, Defence Minister Rachid Sabbagh confirmed that “terrorist elements holed up in Jebel Chaambi in Kasserine province are about to move”, adding that “they receive assistance from other entities”.
Army forces would soon receive “new equipment and devices to monitor landmines and track these terrorist elements”, he added.
For his part, Prime Minister Ali Larayedh said that Tunisia’s “position from terrorism and criminality hasn’t changed, but has even grown firmer”.
“We’ll continue with our efforts until we dismantle this terrorist group and all those who have a proven link to these events. We’ll also develop our counter-terrorism methods and plans,” Larayedh said.
A key part of the strategy to combat the extremists includes revamping the country’s counter-terror laws.
In that vein, a rights committee has been working for months on refining the counter-terrorism law by incorporating respect of human rights and international treaties signed by Tunisia, which provide guarantees for a fair trial.
At a seminar on the topic last week, Human Rights Minister Samir Dilou said that his ministry would speed up the bill drafting and refer it to the government and Constituent Assembly for revision and approval.
The current statute dates back to 2003. But the law has faced criticism for alleged over-reach during the regime of ousted President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.
In a statement released May 23rd, the interior ministry said seven extremists were charged under the law for allegedly killing an officer on May 2nd in Jebel Jelloud, south of Tunis.
But activist groups, including Human Rights Watch, have said that the law carries loose definitions of terrorism and undermines defendants’ rights.
http://magharebia.com/en_GB/articles/awi/features/2013/06/07/feature-01
Lilia Weslaty › Jun 3, 13
Mise à jour 18h :
Selon nos sources sur place à Kasserine, l’adjudant-chef Mokhtar Mbarki a été le chef du camp. Le nombre de balles par lesquelles il a été tué, tirées par ses propres soldats, serait plutôt de 10 et non 7. Nous avons recontacté le porte-parole du ministère de la Défense qui a répondu qu’il ne savait rien des détails de ce drame.
Nawaat.org
Tunis – Tunisian soldiers accidentally shot dead a colleague during an operation targeting an al-Qaeda-linked jihadist group in the country’s western border region, the interior ministry said on Monday.
http://www.news24.com/Africa/News/Tunisia-soldier-killed-by-friendly-fire-20130603-2
TUNIS (AFP) – Three Tunisian soldiers hunting Al-Qaeda-linked jihadists in the rugged border region near Algeria have been wounded in a mine explosion on Mount Chaambi, the defence ministry said.
“The blast happened at 6:15 pm (1715 GMT on Saturday) under a military vehicle, wounding three soldiers,” ministry spokesman Colonel Mokhtar Ben Nasr told AFP.
http://www.modernghana.com/news/466679/1/tunisia-soldiers-hunting-qaeda-wounded-by-mine.html
Mourad Zaidi is looking at his future through one eye. “I wonder what I’ll do after I leave hospital,” the young Tunisian commando officer says.
Everything went dark on May 8th, when Mourad was on a special mission in the Jebel Chaami region, near the Algeria border. His unit was hunting terrorists from the Uqba Ibn Nafaa brigade, a gang tied to al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).
http://magharebia.com/en_GB/articles/awi/reportage/2013/05/31/reportage-01
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