Libyan Interior Minister Emad al-Tarabelsi on Wednesday issued a decision to form a joint security force to secure the border with Tunisia.

The decision comes a few days after the ministry closed the Ras Ajdir border crossing with Tunisia following an attack by a "criminal group."

"The minister of interior, Emad al-Tarabelsi, issued decision number 389/2024 to form a joint security force, consisting of fully staffed and equipped patrols, to fight illegal migration, fuel and narcotics smuggling, and illegal smuggling of all kinds of goods," the ministry said in a statement.

Security checkpoints will also be deployed near the border crossing "in order to ensure tight control over the movement of vehicles on public roads, verify the identity of the drivers and their companions, arrest criminals, wanted persons and suspects," the statement said.

The Ras Ajdir border crossing, located some 170 kilometers west of Libya's capital, Tripoli, witnesses thousands of people crossing daily.

Ever since the fall of late leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, Libya has been suffering insecurity and chaos.

(Cover: Minister of Interior of the Libyan National Unity Government Emad al-Tarabelsi speaks on the latest developments regarding his country's border with neighboring Tunis during a press conference in Tripoli, March 22, 2024. /CFP)