Tunisian security and military forces have apprehended five extremists who had escaped from a prison last week, where they were serving time for the killing of two secular politicians and policemen.
The interior ministry said four of the escapees were captured on a mountain near Tunis early on Tuesday, while another was arrested with the help of citizens two days ago in the Ettadamen neighborhood of the capital.
Security sources described the five men as “very dangerous terrorists.”
The government dismissed top intelligence officials after their escape, which was viewed as a rare security breach.
Ahmed Malki, known as “the Somali,” was among the five. Malki had been serving a 24-year sentence for the assassination of secular politicians Chokri Belaid and Mohamed Brahmi in 2013.
Extremist groups have killed dozens of policemen, foreign tourists, and others in Tunisia since the 2011 revolution, although authorities have achieved some successes in capturing or eliminating prominent militants in recent years.
Security sources report that remnants of ISIS and al-Qaeda remain active in the mountains near the border with Algeria.
By xamse
November 7, 2023
