Summary:

In mid-December 2023, the Tunisian government reported the arrest of three female suspects on suspicion of terrorist activities. 

On 15 December 2023, reports indicated that a woman had been arrested in the Hilal area of Kef on suspicion of joining a terrorist organization. She is reportedly the wife of a convicted terrorist serving an extended prison sentence. 

On 17 December 2023, additional reports were released indicating that the National Guard had made a total of six arrests across Tunisia, with two of the “takfirists” being women. The arrests took place in Tunis, Monastir, Medenine, Mahdia, Ariana, and Kairouan. 

A 2019 report from the Council on Foreign Relations found that “women fuel extremists’ continued influence by advancing their ideology online and by indoctrinating their families.” The report further noted that “the failure of counterterrorist efforts to understand the ways in which women radicalize, support, and perpetrate violence cedes the benefit of their involvement to extremist groups.” 

A separate 2019 report from the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace found that as many as 700 Tunisian women had travelled to Syria, Iraq, and Libya to support and/or fight with the Islamic State. However, the report noted that “other Tunisian women choose ‘fighting for the cause’ from home, which Tunisian authorities see as a more immediate security threat.” 

Outlook: 

A recent string of arrests in Kasserine, the disruption of an Islamic State cell, and other operations reported by the government point to a persistent threat from radicalization in Tunisia. 

The inclusion of women amongst the suspected terrorists, who usually make up a small percentage of individuals that participate in terrorism, marks a concerning trend that could indicate the depth to which radicalization is penetrating Tunisian communities.  

If more women continue to become sympathetic to radicalized causes, communities may be exposed to radicalization at a deeper level that would pose a longer-term threat to security than having individuals or small groups turn to terrorism. 

Our team is continuing to monitor the security environment in Tunisia for additional indications that the threat landscape could be shifting. 

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