Tunisia backs plan to host German forces to train Libyan army

Tunis: Tunisia's government backs a plan for German forces to come to the country to train troops from neighbouring Libya for the fight against IS militants, the Tunisian defence minister said on Tuesday.
The IS militants have taken advantage of political chaos and a security vacuum in Libya to expand their presence there, taking control of the city of Sirte and staging frequent attacks.
Western officials are discussing ways to counter the group, including through the use of air strikes and special forces operations, though plans for outside assistance have been hampered by the failure of a United Nations-backed unity government in Libya to win wide approval in the country.
Last week a German delegation visited Tunisia to discuss a training programme for Libyan forces.
"We agree on the principle of the project," Tunisian Defence Minister Farhat Harchani said in an interview with the TAP state news agency.
He gave no details on the nature of the training or when it might happen, but said Tunisian forces would also take part.
"We will participate in the formation of the nucleus of the Libyan army and security forces in Tunisia. This is our duty and we will help Libya to get it done," he said.
Tunisia has been struggling to contain its own militant threat, and thousands of Tunisians have gone to fight in Iraq, Syria and Libya. Authorities say gunmen who killed dozens of tourists at a museum and a beach resort in Tunisia last year trained in Libya before returning home.
Tunisia recently completed a 200-km (125 mile) barrier consisting of an earth wall and trenches along its frontier with Libya, aimed at stopping militants from crossing the border. European and US military trainers are to instruct Tunisian forces on improving electronic surveillance there.
Britain said on Monday it had sent a team of 20 military personnel to Tunisia to provide mobile patrolling and surveillance training on the border. It said a similar training mission had been conducted at the end of last year.
"A training team of some 20 troops from the 4th Infantry Brigade is now moving to Tunisia to help to counter illegal cross-border movement from Libya in support of the Tunisian authorities," British Defence Minister Michael Fallon told Parliament on Monday.
"I... am extremely concerned about the proliferation of IS along the Libyan coastline, which is why we have been urgently assisting the formation of a new Libyan government," Fallon said.
Fallon said Britain was not currently planning to deploy ground troops to Libya in a combat role.
"Before taking any military action in Libya, we would seek an invitation from the new Libyan Government," he said.
Meanwhile, Tunisian security forces killed four militants in clashes near the border with Algeria late on Monday, officials said.
"Special forces units killed four terrorists in Ain Jafal region between Sbeitla and Jelma in clashes," the interior ministry said in a statement without giving more details.