Al-Qaeda leader in North African region arrested in Tunisia

An Al-Qaeda branch leader of North Africa region has been arrested in Tunisia and along with him others who were suspected of carrying out a terrorist attack have also been arrested, confirmed the spokesman on Friday.

Mohsen Dali also confirmed the arrest of the alleged Al-Qaeda leader sayin, “Two dangerous wanted individuals, one of whom is an Al-Qaeda leader.”

Dali said that all the five suspects were Tunisisan nationals. Apart from this, the Tunisian police also arrested three other people who were reportedly helping the terrorists with materials and other logistical needs. The minister hinted towards planning a terror act but refrained from revealing too much detail.

Dali also said that the arrested Al-Qaeda leader had already carried out terror activities in countries where jihadist groups operate. Tunisia too was a victim to increased jihadist activity after its 2011 Arab Spring protests.

Without giving out crucial information, the ministry said that the initial stages of investigation show that the leader was contacting other group members and was planning a terror activity in the country. During the arrest, the authorities seized a weapon and ammunition.

On January 5, Tunisia’s Prime Minister Hichem Mechichi sacked the Interior Minister Taoufik Charfeddine as the two powerful leaders were at odds due to different political alliances. Charfeddine is close to the president of Tunisia, whose connections have never gone down well with Mechichi.

No reason was given by the government for his removal but the sources claim, it was due to the connections the Interior Minister had with rebel outlets in the country. Tunisia is still under the state of emergency, which has been in place since 2015. It will further extend for another six months.

Even with the emergency in place, nothing is stable in the country. In Southern Tunisia, the governorate of Gafsa has called for a general strike, which includes most of the public facilities. The public is demanding for job opportunities and developmental projects in the country and is expressing their disapproval for the government.

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