![Tunisian women that have joined the Islamic State. Tunisian women that have joined the Islamic State.](https://middleeastobserver.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/Screen-Shot-2015-12-05-at-12.41.26.png)
Around 700 Tunisian women have traveled to Syria to join extremist groups, such as the Islamic State (IS), minister for women issues Samira Merai told the Tunisian parliament on Friday.
A total of 5,000 persons are thought to have joined IS and other groups in Syria Iraq and Libya, from Tunisia.
“We have noted a development in the phenomenon of terrorism,” Merai said.
She did not elaborate more, but said that Prime Minister Habib Essid had called on several ministers “to present a battle plan against terrorism, each in his own area.”