Is ISIS invading Tatooine?
The town of Tataouine, Tunisia, which inspired the twin-sunned 鈥�Star Wars鈥� planet, has now apparently become a waystation for jihadists.
Fans of the movie franchise are now being ,听because of the presence of militants crossing the border into Libya to听join the Islamic State.听
Prior to the attack on the Bardo Museum in Tunis on March 18, three men were arrested in Tataouine for allegedly making plans to cross into Libya to join a terrorist network. Additionally, two armed caches containing rocket-propelled grenade launchers and more than 20,000 rounds of ammunition have been found in the region in the past month, .
Tataouine, which lent its name, more or less, to听Luke Skywalker鈥檚 home planet, Tatooine, is close to several sites where the movies were filmed, including the location of the slave quarters in 鈥淪tar Wars: Episode I鈥� where young Anakin Skywalker and his mother lived, .
Star Wars fans have been known to make pilgrimages to visit these sites and others scattered across Tunisia.
The vast and sparsely populated area near the Tunisia-Libya border is home to smugglers tracks now used by insurgents, such as those behind the museum attacks who have been identified as , to join the Islamic State.听
Tunisia is increasingly concerned about the threat that the Islamic State poses in neighboring Libya. The nation has created at 1.8-mile no-go zone inside the border, with military personnel stationed every couple of miles. But the 380-mile border is still far from secure.
The United States Embassy has , and the British government has r to a large region that includes Tataouine and Luke Skywalker's hometown of Nefta.听听
The travel restrictions will make life difficult for the people of the region whose livelihoods , which extends beyond 鈥淪tar Wars鈥� fandom, attracting German and French beachgoers as well.
[Editor's note: This story has been updated to clarify that no 'Star Wars' scenes were filmed in Tataouine.]
