Tunisia Arrests 5 "Dangerous Terrorists" Who Escaped from Prison a Week Ago

The Tunisian Ministry of Interior announced today, Tuesday, that security and military forces captured five "terrorists" convicted of killing secular politicians and a police officer years ago, after they escaped from prison last week. In a statement, the Ministry of Interior reported that four of them were apprehended in a mountain near Bou Kornine, close to the capital, early on Tuesday, while the fifth was caught two days prior in the Ettadhamen neighborhood of Tunis with the help of citizens. Following their escape, which was seen as a rare security breach, the government dismissed senior intelligence officials. Security sources indicated that the five fugitives are "extremely dangerous terrorists." Among them is Ahmed Maliki, known as "the Somali," who was serving a 24-year sentence for the assassination of secular politicians Shukri Belaid and Mohamed Brahmi in 2013. Tunisia has experienced attacks by extremist groups since 2011, resulting in the deaths of dozens of police officers, foreign tourists, and others. In recent years, authorities have managed to arrest or kill several prominent leaders of these groups. Security sources report that small numbers of members of ISIS and al-Qaeda remain active in the mountains near the border with Algeria.