Islamic State group claims Tunisia museum attack

[Anthea]

BBC News

Tunisia attack: Gunmen kill tourists in museum rampage

Nineteen people, including 17 foreign tourists, have been killed in a gun attack on the Bardo museum in the Tunisian capital, the PM has said.

Italian, Spanish, Polish and German citizens were among those killed, as well as a Tunisian and a police officer, PM Habib Essid said.

Some media reports suggest the death toll could be as high as 22.

Security forces killed two gunmen and were searching the surrounding area for accomplices, Mr Essid said.

At the time of the attack, deputies in the neighbouring parliamentary building were discussing anti-terrorism legislation. Parliament was evacuated following the attack.

At least 22 tourists and two Tunisians were also injured, Mr Essid said. Other reports suggest up to 50 could have been hurt.

Full Article:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-31941672

As it Happened:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/31938459

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BBC Arab Affairs editor Sebastian Usher says that while the identity of the gunmen has not yet been established, they are likely to be Islamic militants who are trying tried to derail Tunisia's democratic transition.

[Piling]

I think that ISIS does not like museum. I wonder why… Beauty ? Culture ? Gathering of every civilisations without hierarchy nor bigotry ?

[Anthea]

I think that ISIS does not like museum. I wonder why… Beauty ? Culture ? Gathering of every civilisations without hierarchy nor bigotry ?

They destroy all the beautiful ancient art

Because they have no culture of the own

[Anthea]

Associated Press

Islamic State group claims Tunisia museum attack

The Islamic State group issued a statement Thursday claiming responsibility for the deadly attack on Tunisia's national museum that killed 23 people, mostly tourists.

The statement described Wednesday's attack in Tunisia as a "blessed invasion of one of the dens of infidels and vice in Muslim Tunisia," and appeared on a forum that carries messages from the group.

The statement said there were two attackers and they weren't killed until they ran out of ammunition and it promised further attacks.

"Wait for the glad tidings of what will harm you, impure ones, for what you have seen today is the first drop of the rain," the statement, which was also announced by U.S.-based SITE Intelligence Group.

IS, which is based in Syria and Iraq, has affiliates in neighboring Libya, where many Tunisians have gone to fight and train with extremist groups.

Earlier this week, a prominent Tunisian field commander for IS was killed in fighting inside Libya.

Tunisia's government, meanwhile, announced the arrest of nine people - four of whom were connected directly to the attack and five others who supported them elsewhere in the country, authorities said.

The attack on the museum, which houses Roman artifacts in Tunis, was the worst at a tourist site in Tunisia in years. The deaths of so many tourists prompted a leading Italian cruise ship line to announce Thursday it was canceling all stops in Tunisia indefinitely.

One of the slain gunmen was known to intelligence services, the prime minister said.

Prime Minister Habib Essid told France's RTL radio that Tunisia was working with other countries to learn more about the slain attackers, identified as Yassine Laabidi and Hatem Khachnaoui. He said Laabidi had been flagged to intelligence, although not for "anything special."

http://abc13.com/news/islamic-state-gro ... ck/564738/