Chaos, looting engulf Tunisian capital

Tunis (Keydmedia International) - In the wake of the unprecedented ouster of former Tunisian President Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali, a new wave of mayhem and disorder have swept across the capital Tunis.
News Keydmedia Online

Looters and violent gangs are exploiting a security vacuum in several parts of the Tunisian capital early on Saturday after Ben Ali relinquished power to Prime Minister Mohammed Ghannouchi and left the country for Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, Reuters reported.

Ghannouchi, who held the reins of power in the country as the interim president shortly after Ben Ali fled the country, has declared a state of emergency.

However, witnesses say marauding groups were seen thronging neighborhoods, setting ablaze buildings and targeting people as the absence of police forces were conspicuous in the capital.

The central railway station and a market in capital Tunis were torched by violent gangs, while in some other parts of the city gunshots echoed as well as the sound of tear gas grenades.

The fall-out come as the Tunisian army has been called on to reinstate order and security to avert the resurgence of upheaval in the country.

According to several witnesses in Denden--19 km (12 miles) from the capital -- the army troops landed by helicopters as part of frantic attempts to restore security in the area.

Later on Friday, the government declared a national state of emergency, imposing a ban on public gatherings and authorizing security forces to open fire on anyone who refused to comply with orders.

On Friday night, unabated demonstrations through Tunisia

    There are no comments for this entry yet.