There are signs that the North African branch of al-Qaida, al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), is seeking to exploit the weakening of security in Tunisia in the aftermath of the revolution. The group has threatened several times in the past to attack Tunisia because of its pro-Western policies. In mid-May the authorities announced that security forces had fought a gun battle at a checkpoint in northern Tunisia with members of AQIM. The reports are inconsistent, but it appears that there were up to nine heavily armed men in the al-Qaida group, of whom two or three were killed along with two Tunisian soldiers. The authorities claimed that the group was planning to attack Tunisian tourist resorts. Two other suspected al-Qaida members carrying explosive belts and bombs have been arrested close to the Libyan border.