UPDATES WITH ADDITIONAL DETAIL
By Adel al-Thabti
TUNIS (AA) – At least two militants were killed on Thursday in an exchange of fire with police in central Tunisia’s Jilma city in the Sidi Bouzid province, the Ministry of Interior has said.
According to a ministry statement, the gunfight occurred after Tunisian security forces stormed a terrorist hideout in Jilma.
During the gunfight, two terrorists blew themselves up with explosive belts, the ministry said, adding that the militants hailed from an “offshoot” of the Daesh terrorist group.
According to the ministry, the “terrorist cell” had been planning to target Tunisian security infrastructure and police patrols.
In recent years, the North African country has suffered a number of terrorist attacks that have claimed the lives of dozens of security personnel and tourists.