Tunisia kills 2 'jihadists' in anti-terror raid near Tunis

Two suspected jihadists were killed on Wednesday during a security operation near the Tunisian capital, the interior ministry said.

Sixteen others, some of them armed, were arrested during the operation in Ariana province just outside Tunis, it said in a statement.

A resident of the Sanhaji district told AFP that a two-hour gun battle erupted with the suspects after the national guard launched the raid at around 8 am (0700 GMT).

"They were not from the neighbourhood. We didn't know them. They rented the house recently," she said.

Since its 2011 revolution, Tunisia has faced a growing jihadist threat, with the Islamic State group last year claiming a string of deadly attacks on holidaymakers and security forces that killed dozens.

Thousands of Tunisians have joined jihadist groups in conflict zones such as Iraq, Syria and Libya over the past few years.

Source: AFP