Tunisia beefs up security at southern desert oil sites after Algerian gas plant attack

TUNIS, Tunisia – Tunisia's state news agency reports that special units are reinforcing the security around the North African nation's oil and gas sites in its southern desert.

Citing security officials, the report late Monday said the move came in response to the fighting in northern Mali and the attack two weeks ago on an Algerian gas installation just 150 miles (240 kilometers) to the south.

At least 37 hostages and 29 militants died in the four-day confrontation between Islamist militants and the Algerian military.

Tunisia has had a number of situations with armed men in the south, near the borders of Algeria and Libya. On Jan. 17, two weapons caches of assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenades were found in the southern city of Medenine.