Around 20 Islamist militants attacked a checkpoint in Tunisia’s central Kasserine region, killing four police officers and stealing their weapons, the government said on Wednesday.
Okba Ibn Nafaa, a small brigade of al-Qaeda-affiliated fighters operating in mountains along the Algerian border, were behind Tuesday night’s attack, interior ministry spokesman Mohamed Ali Aroui told reporters.
“Around 20 terrorists attacked a checkpoint and killed four police. They opened fire on the checkpoint and then they fled with the police weapons,” he said.
Tunisia is engaged in a campaign against Islamist militants who mostly attack security forces. Soldiers are also trying to flush out fighters from a base in the Chaambi mountains near Algeria.