Summary:

On Monday, 18 July 2022 a Tunisian soldier was killed and another wounded in a firefight with a six-vehicle convoy of smugglers at the small southern border outpost of Borj el Khadra. Initial reports indicated that the smugglers may have mistakenly entered Tunisia and the Borj el Khadra area after straying from their typical route that skirts the southern tip of Tunisia in favor of remaining on Libyan and Algerian soil. The smugglers reportedly fled into Libya following the engagement with Tunisian forces.

Analysis:  

Smuggling operations between Libya, Algeria, and Tunisia are a largely tolerated and arguably important part of the Tunisian economy, with fuel, cigarettes, electronics, and other goods moving frequently across borders. An incident such as this likely indicates that the smugglers deviated from tolerated practice or informal agreements with the authorities and highlights the volatility and potential for violence along the desert borders of all three countries.