Soldiers shot dead two suspected Islamist militants on Friday in the mountainous Kasserine region of central Tunisia, the defence ministry said.

A military unit "was this afternoon able to kill two terrorists and wound others on Sammama mountain", it said in a statement, without specifying how many were wounded.

The army also detained "a suspected person" and seized three firearms and ammunition during the operation which the ministry said was ongoing "to track down other elements".

Mount Sammama is adjacent to Mount Chaambi, considered to be the main rear base of the Islamist militants near the border with Algeria.

Since its 2011 revolution, Tunisia has experienced an increase in Islamist militant attacks that have cost the lives of dozens of members of the security forces and also 59 foreign tourists.

The country has been under a state of emergency since November 2015, when a suicide bombing in Tunis claimed by the Islamic State (IS) militant  group killed 12 presidential guards.

On Thursday, the president's office announced that the state of emergency was being extended for another three months.