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Tunisia's interior ministry announced on Tuesday the successful capture of five inmates who had escaped from prison last week while serving sentences related to "terrorist" charges.
In a statement, the ministry revealed that on November 7, different law enforcement units, including national security, the national guard (police), and the army, collaborated to arrest four of the escaped prisoners. These individuals had sought refuge on Mount Boukornine, located approximately 19 miles southeast of the capital, Tunis.
A fifth escaped inmate, identified as 44-year-old Ahmed al-Malki, was arrested on November 5 with the assistance of citizens in the densely populated Ettadhamen district of Tunis.
The escape had occurred on October 31 from the Mornaguia prison, with authorities characterizing it as a carefully planned operation. Two members of the group were also suspected of staging an armed bank robbery near the capital.
Malki, known as "Al-Somali," was serving a 24-year prison sentence for his involvement in the killing of opposition figures, including Chokri Belaid. Belaid's assassination in February 2013 sent shockwaves through Tunisia, leading to a political crisis that ultimately resulted in the Islamist-inspired Ennahdha party relinquishing power that it had held since the 2011 revolution.
The investigations into the deaths of both Belaid and another left-wing parliament member, Mohamed Brahmi, have remained open since their assassinations. Both figures had been vocal critics of the Ennahdha party, which had a dominant presence in the Tunisian parliament and government over the past decade. The assassinations were claimed by jihadist militants, further highlighting the complex security challenges faced by Tunisia.
