The Tunisian Ministry of the Interior announced on Monday the arrest of a “dangerous terrorist element” in possession of an explosive belt and a military weapon in an ambush in the highlands of Kasserine Governorate, in the west of the country.

The Ministry explained in an official statement that this operation was carried out in coordination between the Counter-Terrorism Department with the relevant unit of the National Guard and the Special Forces Brigade of the National Army and under the supervision of the Public Prosecution Office in the Judicial Pole to Combat Terrorism.

According to the statement, “The efforts exerted by the Tunisian forces resulted in the arrest of a dangerous terrorist element after setting up an elaborate ambush while he was on a motorcycle on one of the paths leading to the strongholds of the terrorist elements in the Kasserine Mountains. He was seized with weapons of war and an explosive belt.”

The statement indicated that the person concerned had joined terrorist organizations since 2014 and participated in terrorist operations targeting security and military formations and was involved in the slaughter of a shepherd, robbery and intimidation of citizens in the region.

He was referred to the Public Prosecution, which authorized the opening of an investigative investigation into the matter and the issuance of a prison card against him.