21 KILLED, INCLUDING FOREIGNERS, IN TUNISIA HOSTAGE DRAMA

Tunis, 28 Jumadil Awwal 1436/18 March 2015 (MINA) – At least 21 people, including 17 foreign tourists, were killed when gunmen stormed a museum in the Tunisian capital on Wednesday, said Prime Minister Habib Essid.

Essid said in a televised speech that fives man had attacked the Bardo Museum, located adjacent to the parliament building, where they had taken several tourists hostage.

He said German, Italian, Polish and Spanish nationals had been among those killed in the attack.

According to Essid, security forces killed two of the attackers, Anadolu Agency quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) as reporting.

A Tunisian civilian and a member of the security forces had also been killed, he said.

“This cowardly operation targeted Tunisia’s tourism industry and economy,” Essid said.

A security source had earlier told The Anadolu Agency that security forces had stormed the museum, killing two of the gunmen and freeing all of the hostages.

Security forces have since evacuated the parliament building and cleared vehicles and civilians from the area, an AA correspondent reported.

Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi has described Wednesday’s deadly attack as a “major catastrophe.”

Tunisia’s Islamist Ennahda movement on Wednesday called for holding a major conference with the aim of drawing up a national strategy for fighting terrorism.

The movement also called for issuing new anti-terrorism legislation and other laws aimed at protecting civilians in Tunisia.

Ennahda’s appeal came only hours after a terrorist attack on a Tunis museum left 21 people, including 17 tourists, dead.

The attack took place when French Foreign Affairs Minister Laurent Fabius received Wednesday morning his Tunisian counterpart Taieb Baccouche in France. (T/P001/P3)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)