Young Teen Confirmed Killed In Tunisia Crackdown

Protests had quieted in Tunisia since riots in central Tunis in May.

Tunisian authorities have confirmed that a civilian was killed on July 17 when soldiers broke up a demonstration amid a fresh wave of violent protests in Tunis and other Tunisian cities.

A Defense Ministry official acknowledged the death of a boy in Sidi Bouzid -- the same town in central Tunisia where a young man set himself on fire in December, sparking popular uprisings across the the Arab world.

Local media reports say the killed civilian is a 14-year-old.

The July 17 protest erupted in response to the firing of teargas by police inside a mosque last Friday to break up an antigovernment demonstration.

compiled from agency reports