As Tunisia prepares for the country's first democratic election since the new constitution, there is a mounting concern over the country's continuously fragile security situation. Is security what is standing between Tunisia and a successful democratic transition? On 16 July two army posts close to the Algerian border and the notorious Chaambi Mountain, a hideout for Islamist militants with links to al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), were attacked, 15 soldiers were killed and 20 wounded. The attack marks the country's highest death toll since the 1956 independence and raises fear ahead of the country's elections. "Two groups attacked military checkpoints at 7:40 p.m.," Rachid Bouhoula, Tunisia's Ministry of Defence Press Attache, told Tunisia Live. "They shot from many angles and [...] used machine guns and [rocket-propelled grenades]." According to the government the attack was carried out as the soldiers were breaking their Ramadan fast by 40-60 gunmen. A three-day national mourning period was declared by President Moncef Marzouki as Tunisians, for the second Ramadan in a row, were reminded of the mounting security threat from the country's western area of the Chaambi mountains. The region has been under surveillance from Tunisian military since 2013 and been a closed military zone since the summer of 2013 after the brutal killing of eight soldiers close to Chaambi shocked Tunisians during last year's fasting month. The birthplace of the Arab Spring has since the wave of demonstrations ousted former President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali in January 2011 grown to become a democratic role model in the region. However, despite the positive democratic steps the authorities have had difficulty getting a grip of the volatile security situation. Last year saw the assassinations of the two opposition politicians Chokri Belaid and Mohamed Brahmi and more than 20 security personnel were killed in what the authorities label terrorism-related cases. As criticism against the government is now mounting the National Constituent Assembly (NCA) quickly prioritised the adoption of the draft anti-terrorism law. Fifteen of the draft law's articles were voted on, for example sentences for terrorism related acts, including death penalty for murder and life in prison for acts of terrorism resulting in death or injury. However, human rights activists have raised concern regarding the law's harsh punishments and the vague definition of a "terrorist." As the country's elections are around the corner, parliamentary elections will be held on the 26 October, followed by the Presidential election on the 23 November, with a potential re-run before the end of the year, there are fears that the election, the symbol of democracy, is becoming a target. "We have received threats," said Raouf Boutara, vice-president of the Association Tunisienne pour l'integrite et la democratie des elections (ATIDE), an NGO monitoring the election process. However, they are not personal threats or threats against the NGO's personnel that is Boutara's greatest concern, it is the threat against the election itself and the polling stations on election day. In the end of the day it doesn't matter how hard the people of Tunisia work to get people to vote, one terrorist act and it will be ruined, argued Boutara. Prime Minister Mehdi Jomaa said in a televised statement that the attack was an assault on an "open and tolerant Tunisia," aimed to disrupt the country's transition to democracy. In a crackdown on Islamist radicals around 60 suspects were arrested around the country. Jomaa announced that the measures taken now include a "crisis cell," which will stipulate the government's way forward, stricter border controls and crackdown on both imams provoking hatred and on networks employing jihadi fighters. Other measures that have been undertaken include a Tunisia-Algeria military collaboration in five key areas, including Kasserine, the closest city to Chaambi Mountain, along the countries' shared border, reports the Addustour news website. The Algeria-Tunisia collaboration also includes a push to try tracing and stopping the funding to the radical groups. The government has also declared that mosques operating outside the supervision of the Religious Affairs Ministry and media, or mosques, calling for jihad will immediately be shut down. According to the Ministry of Interior unlicensed media outlets, a large number of radio and television stations broadcast without permission, have turned into platforms for takfiris (Muslims accusing other Muslims of apostasy) and jihad. The authorities assured in an official statement that it would take "all necessary measures to deal with... incitement of violence, terrorism and takfir on social networks." However, after more than three years of continuous security threat, the efficiency of the country's counter-terrorism policy has been questioned, despite that the security apparatus has received training and equipment from both US and Europe, the Mediterranean country's military remains small and its resources limited.
