Al Qaeda suspects arrested Sunday in Tunisia, carrying explosives belt and bombs

Two suspected North African Al Qaeda militants have been arrested in possession of an explosives belt in southern Tunisia, state television reported Sunday.

The men also had bombs with them when they were arrested in Nekrif, in the Tataouine region, 130 kilometers (80 miles) from the border with Libya, the report said.

The television did not immediately give any other details on the circumstances of the arrest or the men's nationality. They were described as suspected members of the shadowy Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQMI).

But a source told Al Arabiya that one of the suspects was an Algerian, arrested with an explosive belt, while the second suspect was Libyan and has been arrested in possession of grenade. Both apparently entered the country from Algeria.

The Tunisian interior ministry on Thursday called on citizens to immediately report any suspect movements or any “sheltering of foreign nationals” to the authorities.

The appeal came after two Libyans were arrested in possession of a homemade bomb in Tataouine, 130 kilometers from the Dehiba border post with Libya.

The men had come from Algeria and were trying to return to Libya with the bomb when police arrested them on Tuesday night, the interior ministry said.

(Ammar Ben Aziz, a senior editor with Al Arabiya, can be reached at: [email protected])