Arfaoui, Mohamed Sebti
Ayachi, Bechir
Yahya, Mustapha
Incident Debriefs: Bardo Museum Attack (2015) & Ben Guerdane Attack (2016), Tunisia

This presentation will consist of two incident debriefs that occurred in the country of Tunisia, both terrorist attacks. The presenters are members of the Tunisian National Police Intervention Units.

On March 15, 2015, two militants attacked the Bardo National Museum in the capital city of Tunis and took hostages. Twenty-two victims were ultimately killed, and approximately fifty others were injured. Police ultimately killed both terrorists and conducted additional operations against the group in the following days.

On March 7, 2016, ISIS militants staged an attack on the National Guard, military barracks, and police posts in an attempt to take over the city of Ben Guerdane and establish a theocracy at the expense of the Civil State. Law enforcement and the military conducted several operations against the terror group to regain control of the city.

Both debriefs will discuss the tactical operations involved in both incidents, the challenges encountered, and the lessons learned.

Mohamed Sebti Arfaoui - Bio
Colonel Major Mohamed Sebti Arfaoui is the General Directorate of Intervention Units at the MoI General Directorate of National Security. He graduated from Tunisian Police Academy as an officer and national diploma in Public Law and Political Sciences. He has more than 31 years of experience in security management. During his service with Tunisian Police, he has obtained experience in several security management topics, including public security, administration, liaison, operations and security information management, analysis, coordination, training and recruitment, special units, and close protection. As a security officer, he has attended several trainings in the security field and staff management. He masters Crisis Management: Leadership Competency Certification in Security Sciences from the MoI Internal Security Forces College and Tactical Command Advanced Crisis Response Team Sniping Complexed Target Management Intervention on Means of Transport Negotiation during Security Operations. He has managerial experience at the national level, focused on security management as follows: Commander of the National Counter-Terrorism Regiment / On-scene Commander during the Bardo Museum Attack and the Battle of Ben Guerdane (2011-2016), Security Attaché at the Tunisian Embassy in Paris (2016-2019), Commander of the National Prisons Commandos Regiment at the Specialized Units Directorate (2019-2021), Director of the Specialized Units Directorate (2021), Director of Preventive Security Department (2021), and General Director of Intervention Units (2021).

Bechir Ayachi - Bio
Bechir Abderrahman Ayachi is the Chief of the National Center for the Training of Specialized Units. He has managerial experience at the National level, focused on Security Management as follows: Operational Team Leader, Operational Team Leader at the National Counter-Terrorism Regiment (BAT), Training Service Chief at the Counter- Terrorism Department.

Mustapha Yahya - Bio
Colonel-major Mustapha YAHYA graduated from Tunisian Police Academy with a diploma as officer and a national diploma in Computer Science Engineering. He has more than eighteen years of experience in Security management of which Four years as an Individual Police Officer within UN common system. During his service with Tunisian Police, he has obtained experience in several security management topics, including but not limited to: Public Security/Administration / liaison / Operations and Security Information Management/analysis /Coordination, Training & recruitment/ special units/close protection. AS Security officer, he has attended several trainings in security field and staff management. He master: Security risk assessment: Conducted for different areas of responsibility to identify risk levels and apply security measures to minimize the risk to population, government installations including police; Physical security: contributed to plan and apply different types of security measures for premises security based on Security Risk analysis; Response to crisis security: contributed to plan and apply security measures during terrorism crisis in Tunisia; Complex criminal activities; recovery of victims and maintaining order during different critical incidents, and Security management leadership as a senior officer. He has managerial experience in both National/UN International levels, focused on Security Management as follows: 1- Public Level: Police officer in Tunisia upheld Security Managerial positions as follows: company commander (2011 - 2014); Deputy Battalion commander for Public order management (2014); Head of service planification of anti-terrorism Battalion (2014-2017 and 2019), Head of service training and Deputy commander of anti-terrorism Battalion (from 2021). 2- International security Management level: Individual Police officer upheld Managerial positions MONUSCO Police Component as follows: FPU liaison officer - Kinshasa MONUSCO DRC (2017 - 2019); FPU liaison officer - Butembo MONUSCO DRC (2019); FPU liaison officer - Beni MONUSCO DRC (2019); and finally Team Leader FPU liaison officer - Beni MONUSCO DRC (2019-2021).