Terrorist groups - home based:
Ansar al-Shari'a in Tunisia (AAS-T): aim(s): expand its influence in Tunisia and, ultimately, replace the Tunisian Government with Sharia area(s) of operations: headquartered in Tunisia, where members instigate riots and violent demonstrations, engage in attacks, and teach religious classes to locals; assassins and suicide bombers target Tunisian Military personnel, Tunisian politicans, religious sites, and groups and places representing Western influence such as tourists and places they frequent; in February and July 2013, members were implicated in the assassination of Tunisian politicians Chokri BELAID and Mohamed BRAHMI; on 14 September 2012, members overran and ransacked the US Embassy and a nearby school in Tunis, causing millions of dollars in damage; manpower strength was unknown as of early 2017; majority of fighters are Tunisian; in recent years, some of the fighters have either left the country or defected to join other armed groups; outlawed in Tunisia

Terrorist groups - foreign based:
al-Qa'ida (AQ): aim(s): overthrow the Tunisian Government and, ultimately, establish a pan-Islamic caliphate under a strict Salafi Muslim interpretation of Sharia area(s) of operation: maintains a longtime operational presence and established networks
al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM): aim(s): replace the Tunisian Government with Sharia and, ultimately, establish a regional Islamic caliphate across all of North and West Africa area(s) of operation: operationally active, primarily in the south near the borders with Algeria; Uqba bin Nafi Battalion, AQIM's branch in Tunisia, has claimed several lethal assaults in recent years against Tunisian Military forces; AQIM's most deadliest attack on Tunisian forces happened in the Mount Chaambi region of Kasserine Governorate in July 2014, when operatives killed 15 soldiers and wounded at least 20
Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL): aim(s): replace the Tunisian Government with an Islamic state and implement ISIL's strict interpretation of Sharia area(s) of operation: Tunisian ISIL fighters stage attacks just across the border in Libya against government facilities and personnel and foreign tourists in Tunisia; bolstering its operational and recruitment presence throughout the country; operatives armed with AK-47 assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenades killed 12 Tunisian security officials and seven civilians during attacks on Army and police posts on 7 March 2016 in the southeastern border town of Ben Guerdane, Medenine Governorate; assessed in 2016 to have recruited 4,000-6,000 Tunisians from all walks of life in person and online to fight in Syria and Iraq but primarily in Libya, where some have become key ISIL figures; Tunisia is a top source country for ISIL recruits