There was no shooting tonight, hamduallah. While people are staying vigilant, when 10 pm rolled around with no violence of any kind a party like atmosphere settled over my neighborhood.
Cars, motorbikes and strange pedestrians still got searched and interrogated (it was a curfew after all) when they came through, although it was with out incident as far as I know.
This young guy above was passing out mini-pizzas and pop corn in the various check points
It ain't easy.....
I can only hope and pray that this peace lasts, and that the army and politicians do the right thing. I have heard reports of protests in the capital, but here it's all quiet. Hamduallah
Per usual I have no firm idea about the reason for this lull in violence but I have heard rumors. Some people have said that the former head of the presidential bodyguard got captured today. That group (as well as special police and interior ministry agents, it's all very confusing and they could be the same organization for all I know) is often blamed for the most brutal violence going on here. Hopefully his arrest has put a serious damper on the ability for the terrorists (or Militia as tunisians have started calling them) to operate.
Other friends of mine think that the lull in violence is only temporary and might resume depending on the actions and the makeup of the new government.
UPDATE
I heard rumors that a European Sniper team was caught in Tunis, and I recently saw footage of them being captured and ammo (and maybe guns?) being found in their luggage.
The people capturing them didn't look too happy.
Hey Jacob,
ReplyDeleteI just found your blog. We are a young American family who had plane tickets to fly into Tunisia last Saturday (deferred, of course), so we've been watching the news with interest. It is great to read from someone who's on the ground in a normal neighborhood. You're having the experience of a lifetime. Thanks for documenting it.
Best of luck!
Sarah
The 'European Sniper team' you mentioned is likely the unhappy group of Swedish boar hunters who got caught in the wrong place at the wrong time: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jdzYEOOgCAGbb0FVaiSpwmsYDP_A?docId=CNG.9964072691a62252d0a98b0308fb8063.c91
ReplyDeleteyeah the video i saw was these guys
ReplyDelete"A senior police officer said on state television earlier that several people including four German nationals had been arrested after being found carrying weapons inside three taxis in the capital."
they had guns
the Swedes are just unlucky. Luckily people in my neighborhood know me