Riots in Tunisia on Monday and Tuesday were attributed to “un-Islamic” art exhibits, but also came just a day after al-Qaeda chief Ayman al-Zawahari sent a message urging Tunisian Muslims to “rise up” in defense of Islamic law (shari’a).

The terrorist leader accused the Islamist party that heads Tunisia’s post-revolutionary government, Ennahda (Renaissance), of betraying Islam by not insisting that a new national constitution being drafted imposes shari’a.

The government imposed a curfew overnight Tuesday in eight regions, after rioters identified as Salafists protested violently in Tunis and elsewhere, targeting offices of secular political parties, a labor federation and other buildings with rocks and petrol bombs, clashing with police and setting tires alight.

The US Embassy warned Americans to avoid all demonstrations, “as even peaceful ones can quickly become unruly, and a foreigner could become a target of harassment or worse.”

Addressing a press conference, Interior Ministry spokesman Khaled Tarrouche called the rioting “terrorist acts” and warned that live ammunition may be used against rioters if the situation worsened.

In a briefing to parliament, Interior Minister Ali Larayedh accused Salafists of carrying out attacks in “blatant disregard for the law.” He reported more than 160 arrests and said 65 security force members had been hurt, telling lawmakers the upheavals would likely continue for several days.

Larayedh acknowledged that some of the violence may have been provoked by Zawahiri’s statement. He also blamed “criminals” and elements linked to the ousted regime of former president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.

“In spite of current events, and the individuals who are jeopardizing our national security, we will do our best to maintain security,” he said.

But Ennahda leader Rached Ghannouchi told state television the violence had nothing to do with Zawahiri’s message.

“I don’t think we have al-Qaeda in Tunisia,” Tunisia Live, an independent English-language news service, quoted him as saying.

Ghannouchi, who returned to Tunisia after more than 20 years in exile following the ousting of Ben Ali, conceded that there was some “extremism” within the Salafist movement but predicted that it would disappear in time.

Ennahda last October won a plurality of the seats when Tunisians elected an assembly mandated to draft the new constitution.

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