‘Mastermind’ of Tunisia Attacks Blows Himself Up as Police Close In
Tunisian security forces inspect the scene outside a metro station where a man blew himself up in the early hours in Tunis on July 3, 2019.
Source: AFP via Getty Images
A militant who blew himself up overnight in the Tunisian capital when surrounded by police was the mastermind behind twin suicide attacks that shook the North African nation last week, officials said.
The June 27 incidents in the heart of Tunis, which left one policeman dead, wounded eight others and were claimed by Islamic State, have cast a shadow over Tunisia’s efforts to revive its economy, years after the 2011 uprising that ousted long-time autocrat Zine El Abidine Ben Ali. They came ahead of planned presidential and parliamentary elections this year, and as the country struggles to rebuild its vital tourism sector.