Clash at Tunisian Military Barracks Near Libyan Border Kills at Least 27 - The New York Times
▻http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/08/world/africa/attack-tunisia-libya-border.html
At least 27 people were killed in a predawn firefight on Monday between attackers suspected of being Islamist militants and the Tunisian security forces at a military barracks near the border with Libya, Tunisian security officials said.
The clashes at Ben Gardane, 18 miles from the border, were the second in the district in a week and come at a time of growing concern that the war in Libya, where the Islamic State has aggressively expanded, is spilling into Tunisia.
Belhassen Oueslati, a spokesman for the Tunisian Defense Ministry, said the assault started just after 5 a.m. Monday with a concerted attack on the military base. The security forces responded with fire, killing 21 militants and capturing six others, he said.
Two security officials and four civilians also died, Mr. Oueslati said. A hospital official told Agence France-Presse that a 12-year-old boy was among the fatalities. Officials said they expected the toll to rise.
Soldiers set up checkpoints in Ben Gardane, sealed the nearby border with Libya and urged residents through bullhorns to remain indoors as they hunted for other attackers.