Tunisian soldiers slain

- Two Tunisian soldiers were slain Monday in clashes with militants in a mountainous area near the border with Algeria . Four other soldiers were wounded , said an army spokesman .

The soldiers were looking for a citizen who was kidnapped by terrorists in the mountains Sammama in Kasserine, he said. Which group would be responsible for this, is not known. He gave no further details about the kidnapping.

The Tunisian army conducts military operations in the region after two major attacks this year which have been claimed by Islamic State. Government officials said the three attackers were trained in jihadist camps across the border in Libya. Due to the political chaos Islamist militants since grown stronger.

In March, armed Muslim men killed 21 tourists at the Bardo Museum in Tunis. A few months later another 38 foreigners were killed in an attack on the beach in Sousse.

The government said more than 3,000 Tunisians have left the country to fight for Islamic militant groups in Syria, Iraq and Libya. Some have threatened to return home and carry out attacks on Tunisian soil.