Live Tourists killed in three-hour siege in Tunis

Tourists killed in three-hour siege in Tunis

Tunisia terror attack: at least 11 dead after gunmen storm museum - live

• Seven foreigners and one Tunisian killed at Bardo museum in Tunis
• Two gunmen and one security official reportedly killed after three-hour siege
• At least 20 foreigners who were held hostage have been freed, reports say

Live Tourists killed in three-hour siege in Tunis

• Gunmen open fire at Bardo museum in Tunis

  Tunisia terror attack: 11dead after gunmen storm museum - live

  • Seven foreigners and one Tunisian killed at Bardo museum in Tunis
  • Two gunmen and one security official reportedly killed after three-hour siege
  • At least 20 foreigners who were held hostage have been freed, reports say

  LIVE Updated 7m ago

  

  Tunisian security forces secure the area after gunmen attacked Tunis’ famed Bardo Museum. Photograph: Fethi Belaid/AFP/Getty Images

  Haroon Siddique

  Wednesday 18 March 2015 14.57 GMT Last modified on Wednesday 18March 2015 15.01 GMT

  
  

  Tunisian PM says 19 dead

  The Tunisian prime minister, Habib Essid, says 19 people were killed, including 17 tourists from Italy, Germany and Spain.

  Another 22 tourists were injured and another two Tunisian men.

   

  Chris Stephen, outside the Bardo museum, sends this account of the end of the siege:

  A single muffled detonation signalled the end of the Bardo Museum siege in Tunis, with reports filtering through crowds gathered outside the gates in the bright sunshine that the attackers were dead.

  White ambulances with lights flashing drove in a slow convoy inside the gardens of the palace grounds. Minutes later police pushed open the big iron entrance gates and black armoured vehicles of the special forces, their task seemingly complete, came out, inching through the crowds pressing in outside. The spectators burst into cheering and applause and a black-clad helmeted soldier peering from the turret of one vehicle punched the air with both fists in response.

  Relief that the siege was over was mixed with dismay among those watching. “This is a black day for Tunisia,” said Karim Ben Sa’a, a manager in the tourism industry. “We are very sad for these tourists. They visit our country and it is so, so, sad to see them die. Our hearts are black.”

  Elsewhere in Tunis there was shock and dismay that terrorists had managed to launch an attack at the very heart of the capital, at a museum that shares the Bardo palace complex with the national parliament. Police set up checkpoints and a policeman with a machine gun was posted outside the office of the British Council.

   

  The Wall Street Journal’s Tamer El-Ghobashy, quoting security sources reports that 38 people were injured in all and nine killed (not including the two gunmen). It says one of the victims was a cleaner working at the museum.

   

  A member of the security forces was reportedly killed in the raid.

   

  All hostages have been freed by Tunisian forces, Reuters reports, citing an official.

   

  Interior ministry says siege over

  Al-Jazeera is also reporting that the Interior Ministry says the siege is over, two gunmen having been killed.

  Updated at 2.23pm GMT

   

  Black-clad police snipers are on the rooftops and bastions of the ancient Bardot castle which forms part of the complex housing the museum where at least 20 foreigners are being held hostage.

  A helicopter is thundering low overhead making circles over the museum, which is adjacent to the Assemblie National, the parliament. In the last few minutes troops in armoured green Humvee armored personnel carriers have driven into the complex. Several hundred people are gathered outside the wrought iron gates of the complex, the air echoing to the sirens of police cars and ambulances.

  The attack comes a day after Tunisia announced a major seizure of weapons from Jihadist groups, triggering speculation that the museum attack may have been launched by jihadist groups in revenge.

  Heavily armed Tunisian security forces secure the area after gunmen opened fire inside the leading museum in Bardo in Tunis, Tunisia. Photograph: Chedly Ben Ibrahim / Demotix/Chedly Ben Ibrahim / Demotix

  Updated at 2.36pm GMT

   

  The FT’s Middle Eastern correspondent says the operation is over and the attackers are dead.

   

  This map shows the location of the attack in Tunisia:

  This is an amateur video apparently showing Tunisian Swat forces deploying in the scene:

  Tunisian Swat forces purportedly outside Bardo museum 

  copy  http://www.theguardian.com/world/live