Al-Qaeda claims responsibility for attack in W. Tunisia

By Adel al-Thabty

TUNIS (AA) – Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) on Tuesday claimed responsibility for an attack that occurred one day earlier in Tunisia’s western Kasserine province that left three soldiers dead.

The Tunisian Defense Ministry announced on Monday that a military vehicle had struck a roadside bomb in Kasserine’s Mount Sammama region, a militant stronghold.

According to the ministry, militants then attacked the disabled vehicle with rifles and rocket propelled grenades, killing three soldiers and injuring another seven.

Since 2011, Tunisia has been shaken by a spate of militant attacks in which scores of soldiers and foreign tourists have been killed.

Along with Tunisia, AQIM is also active in Algeria, Mali, Niger and Mauritania.

Established by Saudi national Osama bin Laden in the late 1980s, Al-Qaeda has carried out terrorist attacks in several African countries, including two deadly bombings in 1998 that targeted U.S. embassies in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam.