Page 9 - Aruba Today
P. 9
WORLD NEWS 9
Tuesday 8 March 2016
Tunisia bloodied: 53 dead in clashes near Libyan border
Tunisian police officers take positions during clashes with militants in Ben Guerdane, 650 km away At dawn Monday, gunmen ing was unusually bloody.
from Tunis, Monday, March 7, 2016. At least 53 people were killed Monday near Tunisia’s border targeted a police station Tunisia has been as a mod-
with Libya in one of the deadliest clashes seen so far between Tunisian forces and extremist at- and military facilities in Ben el of relative stability for the
tackers, the government said. Guerdane, Tunisian Interior region since an uprising five
Ministry spokesman Yasser years ago ushered in de-
(AP Photo) Mosbah told The Associ- mocracy and inspired Arab
ated Press. A night curfew Spring protests against dic-
BOUAZZA BEN BOUAZZA closed its border with Libya were engaged in the fight- was ordered in Ben Guer- tatorships across the re-
Associated Press and the Tunisian interior ing. dane until further notice. gion.
TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) — Ex- and defense ministers trav- “This is an unprecedented The attack and ensuing An uprising in neighboring
ceptionally deadly clashes eled to the town to oversee attack, planned and or- fighting left 35 attack- Libya led to the ouster and
between Tunisian forces the operation, according ganized. Its goal was prob- ers, seven civilians and 11 killing of longtime autocrat
and extremist attackers left to a joint statement from ably to take control of this members of Tunisia’s secu- Moammar Gadhafi in 2011,
at least 53 people dead their ministries. area and to announce rity forces dead, accord- but since then the country
Monday near Tunisia’s bor- Tunisian Prime Minister Has- a new emirate,” Tunisian ing to the joint government has fallen into chaos, al-
der with Libya, the govern- sid Essid said on Wtaniya President Beji Caid Essebsi statement. lowing the Islamic State
ment said, amid growing television that the attack said. A 12-year-old girl was group to take control of
fears that violence from was an Islamic State at- among those killed. several cities. The divided
Libya could destabilize the tempt to carve out a Corpses lay in the street country is ruled by two par-
whole region. stronghold on the border. and gunmen hid in homes liaments: an internationally
Gunmen attacked the city No group claimed immedi- as darkness fell, gunfire recognized body based in
of Ben Guerdane at dawn ate responsibility, but two sporadically ringing out, the eastern city of Tobruk
Monday and fighting con- IS-affiliated websites said Is- according to resident and and a rival government,
tinued past nightfall. Tunisia lamic State group militants local journalist Raoudha backed by Islamist-allied
Bouttar. militias, that controls the
Another witness, who spoke capital, Tripoli.
on condition of anonymity Tunisia is especially worried
out of fear of repercussions about the IS presence in
from the attackers, said the Libya after dozens of tour-
gunmen spoke of creating ists were killed in attacks in
a caliphate and “liberat- Tunisia last year. IS extrem-
ing” the town. ists claimed responsibility
Tunisian forces have re- for those attacks, and Tuni-
peatedly clashed with ex- sian authorities said the at-
tremists on the borders of tackers had been trained
Libya and Algeria in recent in Libya.
years, but Monday’s fight-
Syrian opposition coalitions
undecided over peace talks
BASSEM MROUE dent Bashar Assad’s gov-
BEIRUT (AP) — The main ernment has not released
Syrian opposition coalition any detainees and said
will decide later this week the flow of aid to besieged
on whether to take part rebel-held areas was too
in peace talks scheduled small. These were among
to resume Wednesday in the main preconditions for
Geneva, the head of the the opposition to attend
group said Monday, while the indirect peace talks.
violence across the north of The most recent round
the Syria claimed the lives collapsed last month as
of over a dozen people, the Syrian government
despite a partial cease-fire. launched a new ground
Riad Hijab, head of the offensive.
Higher Negotiations Com- Hijab said that while the
mittee, acknowledged in Russian airstrikes have be-
a teleconference with jour- come less frequent, the
nalists that Russian bom- Syrian government has
bardment has decreased continued to attack rebels.
following the “cessation “The Russians and the Irani-
of hostilities,” which came ans have caused a cata-
into effect Feb. 27. strophic humanitarian situ-
Yet he added that Presi- ation that is killing Syrians,”
