Polish priest killed by Tunisian extremists-media

TUNIS Feb 18 (Reuters) - A Polish priest was murdered in the Tunisian capital on Friday, state media cited the Interior Ministry as saying, the latest sign of rising religious tension since last month's revolution.

Mark Marios Rebaski was found dead at the School of Our Lady in Manouba where he worked, Tunisia Africa Press reported. His throat had been cut.

"The Ministry of the Interior condemns this act and regrets the death. Based on results of the preliminary investigation, including the method of assassination, it believes a group of terrorist fascists with extremist tendencies was behind this crime," it said.

Protests against the authorities swelled into a popular revolt last month that created turmoil in Tunisia, forced President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali to flee to Saudi Arabia and encouraged a similar revolution in Egypt.

Ben Ali, who took power in predominantly Muslim Tunisia in 1987, had cracked down on the Islamist movement and political opponents and was seen by many as an oppressive ruler. Elections to replace him are expected by July or August.

"These extremists are taking advantage of an exceptional situation to disturb national security and plunge our country into violence," the ministry statement said. It did not say what form of extremism it suspected. (Reporting by Tarek Amara; writing by Richard Valdmanis; editing by Tim Pearce)