US Embassy in Tunisia Closes Its Doors for Security Concerns

The US Embassy in Tunisia closed doors to the public on Monday due to security reasons.

“Due to security concerns, the US Embassy will be closed to the public on Monday, July 1st, except for emergency services,” it said in a statement.

The embassy is located about five kilometers from the center of the capital, Tunis. Its decision was most likely taken after receiving security and intelligence reports on the movement of terrorist elements.

It came a few days after two separate suicide bombing attacks hit the capital and left a policeman killed and eight others injured amid continued threats of terrorist acts.

Although it didn’t explain the actual reasons behind its decision and the nature of security concerns, yet Tunisian specialists in extremist groups said being cautious is the best that could be one in this case.

The embassy took a precautionary decision, taking into account that it did not protect itself well during the terrorist attack in 2012.

It didn’t take precautionary measures back then to prevent the entrance of extremist elements to the building.

Masses of demonstrators, mostly members of the banned Ansar al-Sharia organization led by Tunisian terrorist Saifullah bin Hussein, aka Abu Iyaad, headed on Friday, September 14, 2012 to the US Embassy in Tunis to protest against the film, Persepolis, which depicts Prophet Muhammad and offends Islam and was directed in the United States.

Demonstrators threw stones at the US diplomatic mission before storming the building and burning part of it.

The American school in the vicinity of the embassy's headquarters was also set on fire, and it was vandalized and looted.

The US mission in Tunisia demanded huge financial compensation, which sparked controversy within the Tunisian parliament.