An incident that occurred recently to Sidi Bou Said has fueled many rumors on social networks and certain media, concerning an supposed attack on a flotilla carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza.
According to some Tunisian sources and observers present, the information evoking a drone shot or an external sabotage. But for the authorities, the incident would actually be linked to a fire departure in one of the life jackets, caused by reckless behavior of certain participants.
The Tunisian columnist Riadh Jrad, close to state institutions, denounced the dissemination of information amplifying the incident and presenting inaccurate facts, sometimes in order to question the vigilance of the Tunisian security forces. He recalled that the situation was under control and that the authorities, including the police and the army, had managed the incident effectively. According to him, an “watered evening” with consumption of alcohol and a “fish barbecue” on board would have triggered the minor fire, quickly controlled. No serious injuries have been reported and the material damage remains limited.
Read also: Sidi Bou Saïd: a drone would have hit a ship from the flotilla
He also warned against the political and media exploitation of the event, claiming that the Tunisian people remain aware and capable of discerning the true of the false.
Recall that the Ministry of the Interior denied this Tuesday, September 9, any drone attack aimed at a boat on the international flotilla for Gaza, moored at the port of Sidi Bou Saïd. According to the official version, the flames that damaged the ship would be due to “an accidental fire start, probably caused by a cigarette”.
