Tunisian police have arrested a member of Libya’s pro-Gaddafi forces and three locals for planning attacks on Libyan refugees and rebel supporters, a spokesman said Sunday. “Police arrested a Libyan regime loyalist and three Tunisians Friday at noon because they planned to blow up tank lorries heading for Libya on Tunisian territory,” interior ministry spokesman Mohamed Hichem Meddeb said.
The Libyan man, who was not named but was said to have confessed under questioning, entered Tunisia on August 11.
His cousin, employed by the Libyan intelligence agency, had asked him to kidnap leading rebel figures residing in Tunisia and take them back to Libya, Meddeb said. When he failed to carry out the orders, Tripoli “asked him to explode cars in the border region to prompt Tunisia to send back Libyan refugees, most of whom support the rebels”, he added.
“Fortunately, he did not receive the explosives because of the intensifying fighting. His cousin then asked him to explode tank lorries headed for Libya,” said Meddeb. A man who hosted the Libyan in the town of Remada informed Tunisian police of the plans. The attacks were meant to destabilise the rebel movement and undermine Tunisians’ support for its cause, said Meddeb. “Ultimately, Gaddafi supporters wanted to retake control of the border.” The interior ministry did not say how the three Tunisians were involved in the planned attacks.
