Tunisia: Chief of fundamentalist islamist group Ansar al-Sharia Tunisia captured by security forces
Tunisian security forces last night captured al-Khatib al-Idrissy, who is thought to be the chief of outlawed fundamentalist Islamist militia group Ansar al-Shariah Tunisia, sources said Friday.
He was captured in the central town of Sidi Ali Ben Aoun, where Islamic militia killed six national guardsmen on Wednesday. A police officer was gunned down in a separate clash on the same day.
Idrissy is thought to be the brains behind jihadist Salafism in Tunisia. Investigators believe Ansar al-Sharia organized the assassinations of leftist politicians Chokri Belaid and Mohamed Brahmi, who were both felled by unknown gunmen in identical hits.