Tunisian soldier killed in attack on patrol: Ministry

A Tunisian soldier was shot dead on Wednesday in an attack on an army patrol in a desert area on the border with Libya, the Tunisian Defense Ministry said.

“At dawn, a military patrol operating in Remada, carrying out its normal duties in the border buffer zone, was suddenly fired upon by an unknown source,” the ministry said in a statement.

Remada is located in the extreme south of the country.

The attack “resulted in the death of a soldier from the military patrol,” it said.

The ministry said the shooter had not yet been identified but an investigation had been launched.

Smugglers are active in the area and the presence of jihadist groups is increasing.

In 2013, Tunisia established a buffer zone along the border that civilians are not allowed to enter.

The Tunisian armed forces frequently carry out operations in mountainous and desert regions along the borders with Libya and Algeria.