Anti-Terrorism Brigade BAT unit Tunisian police in action during the attack of Tunis Bardo museum

A police operation including members of the BAT was launched immediately following the attack.

Over the past year, the Tunisian government has increased its counterterrorism cooperation with the United States. The rise of violent extremist organizations in Tunisia since the January 2011 revolution – most notably Ansar al-Shari’a in Tunisia (AAS-T) – has posed serious security challenges to a post-revolutionary government previously inexperienced in counterterrorism operations.

The assassination of two opposition politicians in February and July, as well as the attack on the U.S. Embassy and the American Community School in Tunis in September 2012, demonstrated the extent of the terrorist threat. The Tunisian government continued to face challenges that included the potential for terrorist attacks, the influx of arms and violent extremists from across the Algerian and Libyan borders, and the use of improvised explosive devices. The disproportionate numbers of Tunisians among those traveling to fight in Libya, Mali, and Syria – and the ensuing return of these fighters – is another cause for concern.

The Tunisian Ministry of Interior and Ministry of Defense share responsibility for detecting, deterring, and preventing acts of terrorism in Tunisia. In particular, the Antiterrorism Brigade (BAT) – an elite unit under the Ministry of Interior’s National Police – is responsible for SWAT and tactical operations related to counterterrorism. The newly formed National Unit for the Investigation of Terrorist Crimes (UNECT) is a key partner to the BAT and takes the lead in investigating and liaising with the judicial system to encourage successful prosecutions. The military’s role in counterterrorism increased substantially since the spring of 2013 when fighting around Mount Chaambi began and again in fall 2013 when the military reinforced its control of the southern third of the country.