The death toll from the clash between Islamists and security forces in the Tunisian town of Ben Guerdan has reached 30.
The Islamist fighters attacked army and police barracks in Ben Guerdan near the Libyan border on Monday, leaving at least 30 people dead, including civilians.
Authorities sealed off the nearby beach resort town of Djerba, a popular destination for foreign and local tourists, and closed two border crossings with Libya, the TAP state news agency said.
It was not immediately clear if the attackers crossed the border, but Monday’s assault was the type of militant operation Tunisia’s government had feared as it prepares for potential spill over from Libya, where Islamic State militants have expanded their presence.
“I saw a lot of militants at dawn, they were running with their Kalashnikovs,” Hussein, a resident, told Reuters by telephone. “They said they were Islamic State and they came to target the army and the police.”
Soldiers killed 21 militants and arrested six after they attacked military and police posts, the Interior Ministry said. Hospital sources said at least seven civilians were killed along with a soldier and a customs agent
