On 23 December 2006 and 3 January 2007,

Tunisia ) , image_map = Tunisia location (orthographic projection).svg , map_caption = Location of Tunisia in northern Africa , image_map2 = , capital = Tunis , largest_city = capital , ...

n security forces engaged in clashes with members of a group with connections to the Islamist terror group

Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat The Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat ( ar, الجماعة السلفية للدعوة والقتال), known by the French acronym GSPC ('), was an Algerian terrorist faction in the Algerian Civil War founded in 1998 by Hassan Hattab, a ...

(GSPC) in the towns of

Soliman Soliman an alternative to Suleiman may refer to: People Given name * Soliman Kenawy, Egyptian journalist Surname * Soliman (surname) Places * Soliman, Tunisia, located in the Nabeul Governorate See also * Sulaiman Mountains * Sulaiman ...

and

Hammam-Lif Hammam-Lif ( ar, حمام الأنف, pronounced hammam linf) is a coastal town about 20 km south-east of Tunis, the capital of Tunisia. It has been known since antiquity for its thermal springs originating in Mount Bou Kornine. History ...

south of the capital

Tunis ''Tounsi'' french: Tunisois , population_note = , population_urban = , population_metro = 2658816 , population_density_km2 = , timezone1 = CET , utc_offset1 ...

, killing more than a dozen people.

Clashes

On 23 December, two Islamists were killed and two arrested in a shootout with police in the town of Hammam-Lif south of Tunis. On 3 January, at least two members of Tunisian security forces and twelve Islamists were killed, and fifteen arrested in a clash in a forested area near Soliman. Among those killed was the leader of the group, Lassaad Sassi, a former Tunisian policeman who had spent time in

Afghanistan Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan,; prs, امارت اسلامی افغانستان is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central Asia and South Asia. Referred to as the Heart of Asia, it is bordere ...

and headed a terror network based in

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

. Sassi's group had reportedly established training camps in the mountains in Djebel Ressas and Boukornine south of the Tunisian capital. According to French daily ''

Le Parisien ''Le Parisien'' (; French for "The Parisian") is a French daily newspaper covering both international and national news, and local news of Paris and its suburbs. It is owned by LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE, better known as LVMH. Histor ...

'' at least 60 people were killed in the clashes. It was later revealed that the Islamists had been in possession of blueprints of foreign embassies as possible targets. The attacks were the most serious by Islamists in Tunisia since the Ghriba synagogue bombing in 2002.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Soliman attacks Violence in Tunisia Mass shootings in Africa Conflicts in 2006 Conflicts in 2007 Attacks in 2006 Attacks in 2007 Terrorist incidents in Tunisia Islamic terrorism in Tunisia 2006 in Tunisia 2007 in Tunisia 2006 crimes in Tunisia 2007 crimes in Tunisia 2006 mass shootings in Africa 2007 mass shootings in Africa 2000s murders in Tunisia Terrorist incidents in Tunisia in the 2000s Terrorist incidents in Africa in 2006 Terrorist incidents in Africa in 2007