Three ISIS terrorists killed in western parts of Tunisia

Security forces have shot dead three terrorists in Western Tunisia’s Kasserine region, the Tunisian interior ministry said Wednesday.

The three extremists are members of Jund al-Khilafa that has pledged allegiance to ISIS.

Tunisian National Guard spokesman Houssemeddine Jebabli said the cell was involved in the assassination of Mohamed Lakhdhar Makhloufi, whose body was found last month in Mount Mghilla.

The death toll of the network’s members could rise, Jebabli said, adding that all security units on the ground are safe and that combing operations are underway.

The military and security institutions have been pursuing around 300 terrorists hiding in mountainous areas in over five western provinces.

Tunisian security sources revealed that among the killed terrorists are Nazem al-Dhibi, who in the past years was involved in several beheadings, and Hossam Thalithi, an accomplice to Dhibi in the beheading of Makhloufi and the targeting of security guards and residential areas as well as looting food and supplies.

In a related development, the interior ministry confirmed the arrest of an extremist wanted in several security and judicial cases.

Investigators found that the suspect had connections with high-ranking ISIS officials and had admitted to joining a terrorist group fighting as part of ISIS in Libya and Syria.

The ministry revealed that the man, who is believed to be in his early 20s, has received a six-year prison sentence.

Source: Aawsat