The attack in Ben Guerdan , a Tunisian town near the border of Libya , further reinforces the risk Tunisia faces from home - grown militants drawn to Iraq , Syria and Libya , who have threatened to bring their war back home . The assault also reveals the country is vulnerable to violence spilling over from Libya as the Islamic State expands there . Tunisians play a major role in ISIS in Libya where they attend training camps , say security sources , however , the scale of Monday 's attacks was unprecedented as the militants were well - organised , handing out weapons to their fighters from moving vehicles throughout the town , with a knowledge of the city and its military barracks . Tunisia is a prime target for militants looking to upset a young democracy just five years after the overthrow of Ben Ali .
The attack in Ben Guerdan, a Tunisian town near the border of Libya, further reinforces the risk Tunisia faces from home-grown jihadists drawn to Iraq, Syria and Libya, who have threatened to bring their war back home. The assault also reveals the country is vulnerable to violence spilling over from Libya as the Islamic State expands there. Tunisians play a major role in ISIS in Libya where they run training camps, say security sources, however, the scale of Monday's attack was unprecedented as the militants were well-organised, handing out weapons to their fighters from moving vehicles throughout the town, with a knowledge of the city and its military barracks. Tunisia is a prime target for militants looking to upset a young democracy just five years after the overthrow of Ben Ali.