Tunisia News

Tunisian security forces deployed in strength on Saturday after Salafist movement Ansar al-Sharia called on its hardline Islamist supporters to defy a government ban on its annual congress.

Some observers of the Tunisian political scene think that the country will experience a dramatic change as a result of the elections scheduled for the end of the year. However, many of those familiar with the details of the political scene in Tunisia since the time of the revolution—particularly following the elections …

Today, the leaders of the Ennahda Movement in Tunisia are rushing to dominate the forthcoming elections, whether via legitimate or illegitimate means. In the first place, for Ennahda even reaching power was akin to a dream coming true or a lucky strike that will not be repeated, especially given that the Tunisians have …

The Tunisian government will decide by Saturday whether to allow or ban Salafists from holding their annual congress, the interior minister said on Friday rejecting "death threats" made by the radical Islamists.

“If you are fools, try stopping us!” This is the title of a campaign being led by an extremist Islamist group in Tunisia. By “fools,” the group is referring to the Islamist Ennahda party and its government. The paradox is that Ennahda Islamists doubt the presence of terrorist groups and condemn the prevention of preaching …

Tunisia's hardline Salafist movement Ansar al-Sharia vowed on Thursday to go ahead with its annual congress at the weekend in defiance of a government ban on the controversial gathering.

The Tunisian government has decided to ban the congress of hardline Salafist group Ansar al-Sharia due to take place at the end of this week, the ruling Islamist party's leader said on Wednesday.

Tunis, May 14 (IANS/AKI) Two young Tunisians have been arrested over suspicions that they work for Israel's Mossad intelligence agency.

Tunisian Foreign Minister Othmane Jarandi told AFP on Saturday that some 800 Tunisians are fighting in Islamist rebel ranks in Syria and said the country would work to repatriate its citizens taken prisoner there.

Hundreds of Tunisians, including police, human rights activists and political party representatives, protested on Friday against "terrorism" after the government said two wanted jihadist groups had ties with Al-Qaeda.

(Adds Ghannouchi and background) TUNIS, May 9 (Reuters) - Tunisia said on Thursday police hadarrested a Libyan "terrorist" trying to enter asouthern port with explosives, as security forces wage anationwide campaign against militants. "The anti-terrorism task force ... arrested on Wednesday aterrorist Libyan …

Tunisian police have arrested a Libyan "terrorist" as he was trying to enter the south of the country with a "quantity of explosives," the interior ministry said on Thursday.

By Nidal al-Mughrabi GAZA, May 8 (Reuters) - Leading Muslim cleric Sheikh Youssefal-Qaradawi paid a high-profile visit to Gaza on Thursday,giving a boost to the Islamist group Hamas that runs theenclave, but also laying bare Palestinian rivalries. Qaradawi, chairman of the International Federation of MuslimClerics, is based …

Prime Minister Ali Larayedh insisted on Wednesday that Tunisia's security situation was improving and that fugitive jihadist groups with links to Al-Qaeda would be defeated.

Tunis, May 7 (Reuters) - The Tunisian army and police arehunting militants linked to al-Qaeda near the Algerian border, aspokesman for the Interior Ministry said on Tuesday. Mohamed Ali Aroui told a news conference there were about adozen militants in the city of El Kef and about 20 in the areaof Mount Chambi. (Reporting …

Tunis, May 5 (IANS) Unidentified assailants attacked the national guard garrison near Tunisia's El Kef town in the west of the country, but there were no casualties among the guards, the official TAP news agency reported.

Politicians have reached an agreement on a future political system in Tunisia, ending a months-old stalemate that had blocked progress on drafting the new constitution, the head of the ruling Islamist party said on Friday.

Tunisia's army Friday pressed its hunt for a jihadist group hiding out in a border region with Algeria, an operation in which 15 security force members have been wounded, the interior ministry said.

During a recent series of talks I gave in the United States on the Arab Spring, I was often criticized for arguing that the newly elected governments in Libya, Tunisia, Egypt and Yemen should be given a chance before being subjected to a definite judgement.In that context, Egypt, because of its political weight, was of …

Tunisian security forces were on Thursday hunting two armed jihadist groups near the Algerian border, the interior ministry said, as the authorities battle an Islamist threat that has grown increasingly dangerous.

The Tunisian university dean accused of slapping a veiled female student said he was acquitted on Thursday, in a case that has come to symbolise bristling tensions between Islamists and secularists.

Tunisian security forces clashed on Wednesday with a group of around 50 armed jihadists in the remote Mount Chaambi region, a security source at the scene said.