Defence minister says two incidents involved diplomatic staff entering Tunisia from neighbouring Libya.
Tunisian authorities have stopped more than 20 armed European diplomats attempting to cross into the country from neighbouring Libya, local officials said on Tuesday.
“An armed group consisting of 13 French nationals attempted to cross the border in 4×4 vehicles with diplomatic license plates at the Ras Jedir crossing on Sunday,” said Abdelkareem Zubaidi, the minister of national defense.
According to the local Mosaique FM radio station, the group was denied entry into Tunisia after failing to disclose the entirety of its arms inventory.
The French embassy in Tunis said the individuals were members of a security detail attached to the French diplomatic mission in Libya which is based in the Tunisian capital.
“Given the current situation in Libya, one of the trips which the French embassy undertakes regularly between Tunis and Tripoli, was made by road,” the embassy said, without mentioning any arms seized.
