There’s only one problem: There’s no evidence it’s true. The Tunisian Interior Ministry has so far failed to provide any further information on the phenomenon, and human rights activists and journalists have been unable to find any Tunisian woman who went to Syria for this purpose.

“Everything I’ve heard were very broad allegations that didn’t really have all the features of a serious reporting about the case,” said Amna Guellali, the Tunisia researcher for Human Rights Watch. “All I have is very sparse, very little information, and I think that’s true for a lot of people working in the human rights community, in addition to reporters.”

According to Guellali, the political context of the statement could shed light on why the interior minister chose to make this accusation now. The Tunisian government has been under fire for allegedly asking adult women for authorization from their husbands or fathers before they travel to certain countries in the Middle East — Ben Jeddou was justifying any restrictions by saying that the government was attempting to prevent women from embarking on “sex jihad” in Syria. The interior minister has also made the fight against extremist Salafi groups a centerpiece of his term in office. Suggesting that Tunisian Salafi women are sleeping with dozens of Syrian rebels could be another way to discredit them.