A Blog by the Editor of The Middle East Journal

Putting Middle Eastern Events in Cultural and Historical Context

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Attempted Attacks in Monastir and Sousse

A man has blown himself up outside the Riadh Palms Hotel in the Tunisian town of Sousse, and another man is being sought in that town, while a plot has been foiled in the town  of Monastir to blow up the tomb of former President Habib Bourguiba. Only the suicide bomber died in the bombing.There are reports of other incidents and foiled plots for which details have not been made public.

The dead man and other suspects are being described as "Salafi Takfiris."

Tunisia has been struggling with low-grade but persistent violence between Salafis and secularists, including several attacks on security forces. The bombing in Sousse was presumably aimed at the tourist industry, though no damage was done and the explosion was outside the hotel. Bourguiba, of course, was militantly secularist and is presumably seen as a symbol. Other accounts here and here.

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