Sand Your Ground: Tunisia Building Wall Along Border to Repel Daesh Attacks

Tunisia is building a sand barrier near the border with Libya, an area where Daesh militants have recently strengthened their position. Clashes with militants have been reported in eastern Tunisia.

On March 7, terrorists attack the border town of Ben Gardane, having killed 18 people, including civilians and Tunisian troops.

The government fears that Daesh militants might expand their influence further in the Middle East and has decided to build a sand barrier to stop the terrorists. The government closed the border with Libya and restricted access to southern parts of the country.

The border barrier would have a length a 200 meters. The first stage of construction has already been completed.

The wall would comprise sand barriers, watch towers and moats. Its purpose is to protect Tunisia from Islamists’ attacks.

The move was approved after bloody clashes occurred between Daesh militants and Tunisian troops, having killed dozens of Tunisian people.

In 2015, terrorism badly damaged the Tunisian tourist industry. Jihadists staged two major attacks, which claimed the lives of dozens of foreign tourists.

Daesh plans to destabilize Tunisia and establish a "caliphate" in the country, experts on the Middle East told RT.

"Daesh still has a lot of resources and capabilities to carry out terrorist attacks. The group wants to expand its influence. The destabilization in Tunisia would be an important strategic achievement. Tunisia is a vulnerable country. It borders Libya where the threat is coming from," international development consultant Paolo Liebl von Shirach pointed out.

"This border area is remote and poorly protected, so new attacks are very likely. Daesh militants have enough resources for an unlimited number of attacks in Tunisia," author and journalist Christopher Hedges said.