Gunmen have stormed Tunisia’s national museum, killing an Australian and 16 other tourists of various nationalities, as well as two Tunisians.
The brazen daylight assault sparked panic at the nearby parliament and the Bardo National Museum, a magnet for the tourists who contribute so much to the economy.
The gunmen, dressed in military uniforms, opened fire on the tourists as they got off a bus on Wednesday, then chased them into the museum, said Prime Minister Habib Essid.
Among the dead an Australian, five Japanese, four Italians, two Colombians and one each from France, Poland and Spain, Essid announced on television in what he said was a definitive toll.
The nationality of a 16th victim was not given, while the identity of the final fatality had not yet been established.
Police killed two gunmen and the authorities were still hunting for possible accomplices, said the prime minister.
A Tunisian bus driver and a policeman were also reported dead in the attack on the Bardo, famed for its collection of Roman mosaics.
President Beij Caid Essebsi, who visited some of the dozens being treated for wounds in a Tunis hospital, denounced the “horrible crime”.
“I want the Tunisian people to understand that we are in a war against terrorism and that these savage minorities do not frighten us,” he said.
“We will fight them without mercy to our last breath.”
The government announced 42 people were wounded, with Health Minister Said Aidi saying they included citizens of France, South Africa, Poland, Italy and Japan.
The attack sparked outrage, with hundreds of people gathering later in a major thoroughfare of the capital, singing the national anthem and shouting slogans against what they called terrorists.
It also drew strong condemnation from world leaders.
Some officials said hostages had been taken at the museum but this was not confirmed.
There was no claim of responsibility, but Tunisia has struggled to tackle a rise in attacks from Islamist extremists.
Interior ministry spokesman Mohamed Ali Aroui told reporters “two or more terrorists armed with Kalashnikovs” had targeted the museum, where about 100 tourists had been inside.
“Anti-terrorist units” had entered the museum and, about four hours after the incident began, declared that “the operation is over”.
Museum employee Dhouha Belhaj Alaya said she heard “intense gunfire” around noon.
“My co-workers were screaming ‘Run! Run! Shots are being fired!'” she told AFP. “We escaped out the back door with co-workers and some tourists.”
French tourist Fabienne recounted how she and others hid in one of the museum’s galleries along with their guide.
“We couldn’t see anything, but there must have been a lot of them. We were afraid that, at any moment, they would come kill us,” she told France’s BFM television.
Work was suspended at parliament during the attack.
Islamist lawmaker Monia Brahim said gunfire from the initial assault prompted committees to suspend their meetings as colleagues were ordered to assemble in the main chamber.
“There was enormous panic,” another lawmaker, Sayida Ounissi, wrote on Twitter, saying hearings on Tunisia’s anti-terrorism law were taking place at the time.
A cruise ship carrying more than 3100 passengers, the Costa Fascinosa, was docked in Tunis at the time, and some had gone ashore planning to visit the museum, the cruise line said.
A statement did not specify if any passengers were inside the museum at the time of the attack.
Image: SMH
