The Minister of Interior of the Libyan Government of National Unity, Emad Al-Trabelsi, ordered the closure of Ras Ajdair border crossing, starting Monday, until further notice after reports of security tension at the border with Tunisia.
The Ministry of Interior said in a statement subsequent to the closure decision that it had decided to close the border crossing with Tunisia immediately after “outlaw groups attacked” the border area in order to create chaos and disrupt work.
It confirmed that those armed groups carried out such an act after preventing violations which some saw as an acquired right, indicating that instructions had been issued to make security arrangements to resume work at the border crossing by the relevant authorities, adding, that the security apparatuses would not allow chaos to take place at the border which must be under the authority and legitimacy of the state, vowing to take legal measures and penalties against those involved in the tensions.
This decision came in the wake of clashes that took place at Ras Ajdair border, immediately after the arrival of forces from the Law Enforcement Authority to the area, as the security forces that had previously secured the border refused the new arrivals' presence.
On Monday, Al-Trabelsi assigned the Law Enforcement Authority to go to Ras Ajdair border to support the security units there to combat smuggling and control violations in order to maintain security and manage the movement of travelers between Libya and Tunisia.
