An unprecedented exercise in the release of hostages aboard the Tanit ship was led this Tuesday morning off the port of La Goulette. This is the first exercise of this type carried out in real navigation conditions, marking an important step in strengthening the Tunisian state intervention capacities at sea.
The operation, which lasted approximately 35 minutes, was supervised by the Minister of Transport Rachid Amri, who praised “the quality of the work accomplished” and affirmed that this exercise demonstrates “the full capacity of the State to ensure the protection of the country on land, at sea and in the air,” reports Mosaique FM.
The scenario simulated a hostage -taking on Tanit. From the alert triggered, a crisis unit was activated, allowing coordination between the crew, the National Guard, the Coast Guard, the Special Unit and the Air Unit. The intervention was concluded with a spectacular assault, in particular with an aerial deployment on the bridge of the ship to neutralize the assailant.
According to General Houssemeddine Jebabli, spokesperson for the National Guard, one of the major challenges resided in the management of the operation while the ship was in real navigation, requiring close coordination between all the entities involved, including the Tunisian navigation company.
The exercise is part of the annual National Guard program for the first half of 2025. A complete evaluation was carried out at the end of the operation, which constitutes a first step before other planned simulations, in even more complex contexts.
This life -size test illustrates the will of the Tunisian authorities to strengthen their vigilance in the face of maritime threats and to perfect emergency response mechanisms.
