Tunisian forces bust al-Qaeda-linked terrorist cell near Sousse

According to a statement by Tunisia’s Interior Ministry, the group was busted during a raid near the coastal city of Sousse, which is located 140 kilometers south of the capital, Tunis.

The cell had 10 members aged between 25 and 45, including two women.

The ministry said in a statement on Thursday that the group had used the Telegram encrypted messaging system to communicate with associates inside and outside Tunisia, adding that the militants were plotting to carry out “terrorist operations” across the country.

Sources say the cell had links to Okba Ibn Nafaa, an al Qaeda-linked group based in the Mount Chaambi range near the Algerian border. The group has claimed a series of terror attacks against Tunisian security forces in recent years.

Tunisian security forces said recently that they had dismantled 160 militant cells in the first 10 months of this year across the country.

Tunisia has witnessed an upsurge in militant attacks over the past few months.