Tunisian soldier opens fire in barracks, kills three

TUNIS, Tunisia, May 25 (UPI) -- A Tunisian army soldier killed three fellow troops at a Tunis barracks before he was shot to death Monday, the Tunisian defense ministry said.

The unidentified soldier was not allowed to carry a weapon, but seized one from a colleague and opened fire in the Bouchoucha barracks in Tunisia's capital, less than a mile from the National Bardo Museum, where 22 people were killed in a terrorist attack on Mar. 18. The incident in the barracks is not viewed as a terrorist attack, Interior Ministry spokesman Mohamed Ali Aroui said.

An army spokesman said three people, including a colonel, were killed in the rampage and 15 more were injured before the assailant was killed. No motive for the attack was given. Aroui added shots were only fired within the barracks.

Tunisia has been fighting groups with connections to al-Qaida and the Islamic State since 2011, following the overthrow of dictator Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali. The military's involvement in fighting terrorism increased after the Bardo incident.