Gunmen
attacked Tunisia's national museum near its parliament on Wednesday, killing at
least seven tourists and taking others hostage inside the building, the
government said. Foreign
tourists ran for shelter, covered by security forces aiming rifles into the
air, live television footage showed.
Security
forces were surrounding at least two militants in the Bardo museum, a venue in
central Tunis on the parliament grounds that is a popular site for visiting
foreigners, the interior ministry spokesman said.
The attack
on such a high profile target is a huge blow for the small North African
country that relies heavily on European tourism and has so far avoided major
militant violence since its 2011 uprising to oust autocrat Zine El-Abidine Ben
Ali.
Tunisian
authorities did not release any details on the nationalities of the hostages.
If any foreigners were killed, Wednesday's assault would the worst assault
involving them since an al Qaeda suicide bombing on a synagogue killed 21
people on the tourist island of Djerba in 2002.
The
spokesman for the interior ministry said seven tourists and one Tunisian had
been killed.
An official
at the Italian foreign ministry in Rome said two Italians had been wounded in
the attack, but it was not clear whether they were among the hostages.
About
another 100 Italians were in the area and had been taken to safety by Tunisian
police, authorities added.
Tunisia
uprising inspired "Arab Spring" revolts in neighboring Libya, Egypt,
Syria and Yemen. But its adoption of a new constitution and staging of largely
peaceful elections has won widespread praise and stood in stark contrast to the
chaos that has plagued those countries.
Several
militant groups have emerged in Tunisia since the uprising, including Ansar al
Sharia which is listed as a terrorist organization by the United States.
Authorities
estimate 3,000 Tunisians have also joined militant groups in Iraq and Syria and
some have returned home, increasing government fears of an attack on Tunisian
soil.
Islamic
State affiliates in Libya are gaining a foothold as two rival governments there
battle for control. A senior Tunisian militant was killed while fighting for
Islamic State in the Libyan city of Sirte over the past week, authorities said.
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