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One injured in Tunisia-Libya clashes near border post

03 December 2011 23:58 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Overnight clashes between armed Libyans and Tunisian border guards near the Dhehiba border crossing left at least one Libyan injured, Radio Express FM reported on Saturday, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

The incident took place after Tunisia’s decision to close Dhehiba on Friday following reports of aggression against Tunisians in the Libyan town of Nalut and the Djebel Gharbi area.

On Wednesday, Tunisia closed Ras El Jedir, its main border crossing with Libya, and voiced "deep concern" over the repeated violation of its sovereignty after armed Libyans opened fire on Tunisian guards.

On Saturday, a Libyan independent party leader Youssef Ben Jaaafar said the incidents are "of no consequence on Tunisian- Libyan relations," Radio Mosaique FM reported.

He also said that Libyans will always be thankful for the support it received from Tunisians during the civil war and that priority will be given to the Tunisian workers in the country’s reconstruction, while blaming the media for "exaggerating" the incidents.

During the civil war in Libya, some 750,000 people of various nationalities crossed into Tunisia through the two border posts, including a vast number of Libyan refugees.