BREAKING NEWS

Tunisian PM calls for calm as rival protests planned

By REUTERS

AUGUST 3, 2013 23:22

TUNIS - Tunisia's prime minister appealed for calm on Saturday from pro- and anti-government groups planning rival mass protests this weekend.

The North African country is experiencing increased attacks by radical Islamist militants at a time when the secularist opposition is trying to oust a government led by the moderate Islamist party Ennahda.

"Tunisia is in need of national unity ... I call for calm so that the army and security forces can combat terrorism and not waste its efforts on protests," Prime Minister Ali Larayedh told a news conference.

Tunisian forces launched air and artillery strikes on Friday to try to rout militants who killed eight soldiers earlier this week in one of the deadliest attacks on security forces in decades.

A fledgling "Arab Spring" democracy, Tunisia now faces one of the worst crises since autocratic President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali was toppled in 2011, the first in a wave of uprisings across the region.

Planned talks on the political and security crises on Saturday failed to produce results, as the main opposition groups declined to attend.

Launches from Lebanon cross into the area of Margaliot, no alert sounds

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF

04/23/2024 11:26 PM

Two killed by Israeli airstrike in southern Lebanon's Hanin

By REUTERS

04/23/2024 11:20 PM

US calls on Iraq to safeguard US troops after new attacks

By REUTERS

04/23/2024 09:58 PM

IDF announces name of fallen solider

By JERUSALEM POST STAFF