Tunisia unrest: Deaths in Tatouine and near Tunis

Four security officers and two suspected fighters have been killed in Tunisia during security operations near the capital Tunis and in the south of the country, according to the government.

A fighter detonated his explosives belt after a firefight erupted in the Tatouine governorate on Wednesday, killing the officers.

“One terrorist element was shot dead while the other detonated his explosives belt, killing two officers and two agents of the national guard,” said the interior ministry.

Ammunition seized

Earlier on Wednesday, two suspected fighters were killed during a raid near Tunis against a cell planning “simultaneous” attacks, according to AFP news agency.

A national guard unit had carried out the raid acting on information from an “anti-terrorist” operation.

Sixteen others were arrested during the operation in Ariana province, just outside Tunis, and AK-47 rifles, pistols and ammunition were seized.

The interior ministry said the suspects had gathered in the area from different parts of the country.

According to a resident of the Sanhaji district, a two-hour gun battle erupted with the suspects after the National Guard launched the raid at around 8am local time (07:00 GMT).

“They were not from the neighbourhood. We didn't know them. They rented the house recently,” AFP quoted her as saying.

Tunisia, the birthplace of the 2011 Arab uprisings, has suffered from a wave of violence since its revolution that toppled Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, the longtime president.

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