Gunmen kill at least 21 in Tunis museum attack, including 17 tourists

At least 21 people were killed, including 17 foreign tourists, when militants attacked Tunisia’s Bardo museum in the capital Tunis, Prime Minister Habib Essid said on Wednesday. A further 22 were injured, of whom 20 were tourists. A later raid by security forces left the two gunmen dead and ended the standoff. Ship owner Costa Crociere confirmed that some of the 3,161 passengers were visiting the Tunisian capital Wednesday and that a tour of the Bardo was on the itinerary, but said it couldn’t confirm how many, if any, passengers were in the museum at the time.

This attack cruelly illustrates the threat that we are all confronted with in Europe, in the Mediterranean, around the world. France, Tunisia and Europe will act together to fight terrorism.

French Prime Minister Manuel Valls

Tunisia recently completed a rocky road to democracy after overthrowing its authoritarian president in 2011, seen by many as the start of the so-called Arab Spring. The country has been more stable than other countries in the region, but has struggled with violence by Islamic extremists in recent years, including some linked to the Islamic State group. It also has extremists linked to al-Qaida’s North Africa arm who occasionally target Tunisian security forces.

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