Increase in number of dismantled terrorist cells: Tunisian Brotherhood’s role in mobilizing them?

Sarah Rashad

Since Tunisian President Kais Saied issued his extraordinary decisions on July 25, the option of a high rate of terrorist operations has been strongly on the table.

This option still remains, even after the Brotherhood-affiliated Ennahda movement, which is the most affected by the decisions, adopted the option of appeasement. Over the past four months, the country has witnessed an increase in the rate of dismantling terrorist cells.

This month, the Tunisian security services revealed that they had dismantled a women’s cell based on attracting women for the benefit of ISIS.

According to what was announced by the authorities, the cell was active between the states of Kef and Tozeur, attracting female members online.

A week earlier, Tunisian media sources announced that the security services had discovered a 300-meter tunnel leading to the residence of the French ambassador to Tunisia.

Channel Nine said, “The tunnel that was discovered was dug recently, amid fears that extremist groups might prepare for a terrorist attack against the ambassador.”

Media sources said that the security services are withholding information about the tunnel, but the process of digging it is new and the purposes behind it have not yet been identified.

The Haqaiq Online news website confirmed that Tunisian Prime Minister Najla Bouden went to the residence of the French ambassador in La Marsa amid a heavy presence of security units in the vicinity of the headquarters.

France, in particular, faces sharp criticism from supporters of the Islamist movement, who claim that the former provides support for President Saied after his decisions to dissolve the previous government, dismiss former Prime Minister Hishem Mechichi, freeze the parliament and lift the immunity of parliamentarians.

In most of the demonstrations by supporters of the Ennahda movement and the Islamist current, slogans were raised accusing France and its ambassador of interfering in Tunisia’s affairs or of being involved in pushing Saied to take exceptional measures.

Exactly a month earlier, in mid-October, National Guard units dismantled a terrorist cell in the southern province of Tataouine.

According to what was announced at the time, the cell consisted of eight to ten Tunisians, some of whom fled. The security services said at the time that the cell was preparing explosive devices for use in specific operations.

Ennahda moves its arms

Tunisian political writer Nizar Al-Jledi agreed with the link between the dismantling operations and the dismantled cells, pointing out that Ennahda, despite its self-restraint attempts, is involved in moving its arms and those close to it on the Tunisian borders and at home to take revenge on the Tunisian state.

Jledi pointed out in exclusive statements to the Reference that this was expected, noting that the large number of dismantling operations is also due to the political cover provided by the Tunisian president to the Ministry of the Interior to open the files of all extremist cells.

Jledi stressed that, in the past under the authority of Ennahda, the Ministry of the Interior had knowledge of some terrorist cells and was turning a blind eye to them on instructions from the Brotherhood movement, noting that the situation differed according to instructions from the Tunisian president and the presence of a new Interior Minister who has knowledge of all files.