TUNIS, Tunisia — The March 18 attack on the Bardo National Museum that resulted in the deaths of 24 people, including the two gunmen, highlighted the issue of internal security threats to Tunisia. Even before the attack, however, the prevalence of Tunisian fighters in the ranks of the Islamic State (IS) had drawn attention to the country’s struggle with radicalization following the 2011 revolution.
While the struggle is not new, the government is now emphasizing its efforts to increase security and counter radicalization. So far, security operations against militant cells and the introduction of a new anti-terrorism bill in parliament have been the centerpieces of this effort. In addition, the Ministry of Religious Affairs has been working to bring back under its control those mosques that harbored extremist imams and networks after the revolution. Part of its effort involves reinstating ministry-sanctioned leaders in these mosques.