The Ministry of Interior of Tunisia announced on April 4 that two ISIS-affiliated terrorists were eliminated in the central-western province of Kasserin.
In an official statement, the ministry said that an intelligence operation by the National Guard’s Anti-Terrorism Department had successfully identified location and movements of the two terrorists are using to get supplies, allowing government forces to ambush them.
“Joint forces from the National Guard’s special units and the National Army managed, after an ambush in the foothills of the mountains of Kasserine, to eliminate two terrorist elements, and the operation is still ongoing,” the statement reads.
Tunisian security forces seized several assault rifles, ammunition and improvised-explosive devices (IEDs) during the operation.
#Tunisia– USGN & TAF killed 2 militants in clashes in Jabel Salloum, #Kasserine Governorate.
The 2, Nazim al-Dhiybi & Muhammad Wanis al-Haji, joined #AQIM–#OIB in 2013 and left to join #ISIS JAK in 2014 pic.twitter.com/5ALHgklQpw
— Oded Berkowitz (@Oded121351) April 5, 2020
The two slain terrorists were identified by the National Guard as 33-year old Nazim bin Mohsen bin Ammar al-Thebe, aka Abu Amar, and 25-year old Mohamad Wanas bin Mohamad al-Maydani bin Mohamad al-Haji, aka Abu Musab.
Both of them were members of the al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) before defecting in 2014 toISIS-affiliated Jund al-Khilafah. The terrorists took part in a number of attacks in the period from 2014 to 2018. They also appeared in a propaganda report of ISIS released last year.
Sources said the 2 #Jund al-Khilafah terrorists killed last night in Hassi Frid, #Kasserine, are Nadhem #Dhibi, 33 & Mohamed Wannes #Hajji, 26.
Dhibi, though, was reported killed in a similar op. a year ago!#ISIS #Daesh #Security #Military #Algeria
* Archive photos pic.twitter.com/ubg5ILGAyj— Mourad Teyeb (@MouradTeyeb) April 5, 2020
ISIS cells are known to be active in several mountain chains in western Tunisia, mainly in Jebel ech Chambi. While the numbers of the terrorist group’s supporters there are not that high, they remain a serious threat to the country, which is struggling due to its limited resources.
