French national killed in Tunisia knife attack: Interior Ministry

• Police knew identity of the assailant who had a criminal record.
• The attack took place in Jarzouna, the day after Tunisia held a presidential election.
• The attacker assaulted the uniformed soldier and then the French citizen.

(TUNIS) An attacker killed a French citizen and wounded a soldier with a knife in northern Tunisia on Monday, state media quoted the Interior Ministry as saying.

Interior Ministry spokesman Khaled Hayouni was quoted on state news agency TAP as saying police knew the identity of the assailant, a 28-year-old man with a criminal record, but he did not suggest a motive for the killing.

The attack took place in Jarzouna, a town connected by bridge to the port city of Bizerte, the day after Tunisia held a presidential election.

The attacker assaulted the uniformed soldier and then the French citizen, who died before reaching hospital, it quoted Hayouni as saying. Reuters could not immediately reach Hayouni for comment.

Jihadist militant groups have repeatedly attempted to target security services and foreign tourists in Tunisia in recent years.

Two attacks in 2015 in the cities of Tunis and Sousse killed scores of foreign tourists, but Western diplomats say Tunisian security services are now better equipped to deal with militant threats.