The combing operation conducted by military units near the Libyan border came at a time when the army command provided security and military reinforcement to areas near the border with Tunisia, Libya and Mali. It was also decided to raise the alert level for military units in these areas.
In Tunisia, the National Guard troops and security forces recently launched several operations in the center of the country. Several days before that, on the evening of Oct. 25, Interim President Moncef Marzouki announced the creation of a military operation zone in the same area. This emphasized the importance of the military operation conducted by the Tunisian army in several areas in the center of the country.
In parallel, the most important military and security operation is being conducted in northern Mali, where UN, Malian and French troops have initiated a new large-scale operation against armed Salafist groups and factions in the northern and southern sides of the Niger bend. The spokesman stressed the importance of the operation and the number of the forces participating in it, saying that it aims to eradicate terrorist groups and prevent their return.
A well informed source said that units from the Nigerien army have been deployed since the end of last week in five regions in the northwest of the country near the border with Mali, Algeria and Libya. Within this scope, the Nigerien army command moved units to the Talak and Air regions, the Jadon heights, the Ténéré desert bordering Algeria and the Tekwiden region near the border with Mali.
The source asserted that the countries concerned with the recent security operations have coordinated in the fight against terrorism. This is no secret, since it is only natural to agree on the coordination of operations to combat terrorism. Military experts told El-Khabar that it is normal for these security and military operations be held simultaneously within the scope of the fight against terrorists in countries exposed to threats of terror in order to prevent these organizations from fleeing to stable areas in neighboring countries.