TUNIS, Tunisia (AP) — Tunisia’s Defense Ministry says gunmen have attacked a bus carrying soldiers and their families in the mountainous northwest region, killing four service members and wounding 11 people.
Ministry spokesman Rachid Bouhoula said the attack took place near El-Kef, part of the rugged border region with Algeria.
Al-Qaida-linked extremist groups are believed to be hiding out in these border regions and have mounted several attacks against soldiers in the past.
Tunisia is in the midst of the campaign for presidential elections to be held Nov. 23.
The past year has seen a major crackdown against extremist groups, including occasional standoffs between security forces and militants.
Just days before Tunisia’s Oct. 26 parliamentary elections, security forces stormed a home in a Tunis suburb killing six suspected militants.
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
