Tunisian armed forces on full alert at Libyan border
Tunis, Tunisia (PANA) – Tunisia has placed its armed forces on full alert on its land and maritime borders to prepare for any action that could threaten its security, the Tunisian minister of Defence, Abdelkrim Zbidi, said on Thursday while visiting Tunisian southern city of Gabès, located at the border with Libya.
According to him, the measures aim to counter the dangers from as well terrorism, contraband, illegal immigration as organized crime.
Zbidi was accompanied on the visit by the US and German ambassadors.
The Tunisian minister inaugurated the operation room for electronic surveillance at the Tunisian-Libyan border. That room is equipped with infra-ray surveillance system which watch the movement of suspected people and vehicles.
He said he is pleased with ‘’the efficiency’’ of the security system with which Tunisia has foiled 95% of the attempted smuggling over 12 months.
The first phase of the security project at the 90-kilometre southeastern border was financed from US and German donations.
‘’We are seeking financing to extend the surveillance system up to the far-south’’, he said, adding that Tunisia and Libya share a 400-kilometer-long border.
However, Mr Zbidi announced plans to contain a massive movement of Libyan nationals fleeing the fighting in their country.
In 2011 and 2012, Tunisia hosted more than one million Libyans and other foreign nationals, particularly Sub-Saharan Africans living in Libya who had fled the fighting following the fall of the regime of former dictator Moauamar Gaddafi.
-0- PANA BB/BEH/MSA/VAO 11April 2019
