Tunisia deploys troops countrywide following protests

By Adil Essabiti

TUNIS, Tunisia (AA) - Tunisia has deployed hundreds of army troops in different parts of the country with the stated aim of protecting "sovereign institutions", according to a Defense Ministry spokesman on Thursday.

"In coordination with the civil authorities, more than 2,000 army troops have been deployed to protect sovereign institutions and vital facilities," Belhassen al-Waslati told Anadolu Agency.

"In the first phase [of deployment], 2,000 soldiers were dispatched Tuesday evening to 123 different parts of the country," he said.

As of Wednesday night, al-Waslati added, this number had risen to more than 2,100.

The military deployments come in the wake of four days of street demonstrations held in several Tunisian cities to protest rising costs of living.

In several cases, protesters have clashed with Tunisian security forces.

On Wednesday, the Interior Ministry announced that more than 200 demonstrators had been detained.

According to the Defense Ministry spokesman, deployed troops are now conducting joint patrols with auxiliary "security units", while additional troops are prepared "to intervene if necessary".