Arab leaders reach agreement on stemming Islamist violence

Interior ministers from twenty Arab countries meeting in Tunis have unanimously approved an agreement aimed at increasing cooperation in fighting terrorism.

The Ministers agreed that no Arab country would allow its territory to be used by Islamist militant groups as a launch-pad for violent attacks.

Arab countries also pledged to extradite terrorist suspects and freeze the assets of those suspected of financing terrorism.

Correspondents say the agreement, which has been under discussion for four years, was given added urgency by the killing in Algeria this week of four hundred civilians in a single incident, as well as recent attacks on foreign tourists in Egypt.

The measures must be ratified by Arab governments within a month.

During the conference, the Egyptian and Algerian Interior Ministers called on Arab states to put pressure on Western governments -- particularly Britain -- to stop them providing shelter for Islamist radicals.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service