A beach attached to the tourist complex of Port El Kantaoui near the city of Sousse in central Tunisia has been attacked by gunmen. Dozens of people have been reported killed and injured.
28 June 2015
UK's Foreign Office confirms 15 British nationals died in the attack on the beach outside the Imperial Marhaba hotel Friday.
Minister confirms at least 15 Britons killed in #Tunisia & others badly injured; sends sympathy to victims & families http://t.co/tQZc85fDy1
— Foreign Office (FCO) (@foreignoffice) June 27, 2015
27 June 2015
The victims of Friday's Tunisian beach resort shooting are mostly British. However, other Europeans are also among the victims.
“The majority are British,” Tunisian Prime Minister Habib Essid told a news conference.
“After [this] come[s] the Germans, then the Belgians and then other nationalities,” he said, adding that there were also French nationals among the victims.
The PM added that reserve troops will be deployed to protect “sensitive sites... and places that could be targets of terrorist attacks.”
The “exceptional plan to better secure tourist and archaeological sites” will include “deploying armed tourist security officers all along the coast and inside hotels from July1 ,” he added, according to AFP.
Thousands of British tourists are fleeing Tunisia in the aftermath of the bloody terrorist attack at a resort that left dozens of holidaymakers dead. READ THE FULL STORY HERE
Tourists scramble to leave Tunisia after deadly attack http://t.co/yvrtmfgWNGpic.twitter.com/lYCsaxoSl8
— Yahoo News (@YahooNews) June 27, 2015
Thomson and First Choice travel have canceled all this week’s flights to Tunisia following the deadly terrorist attack. “Thomson and First Choice are deeply shocked and truly saddened by the events and we are grateful to our staff on the ground and the emergency services who are working hard in an incredibly challenging environment,” its statement read.
Tunisian Prime Minister Habib Essid has revised the death toll from 39 to 38 people, according to AFP. The previous figure included the dead gunman.
There were three attackers in the Tunisian massacre, Interior Ministry spokesman Mohammed Ali Aroui told reporters. One of the men was was killed, one was arrested and another escaped.
One of the attackers was a young student not previously known to authorities, Rafik Chelli, the secretary of state of the Interior Ministry, told The Associated Press.
In light of Friday's beach massacre, some 80 mosques outside state control will be closed down to prevent the possible incitement of violence, the Tunisian government has announced, according to Reuters.
Holiday maker Thomas Cook will not refund any holidays booked for Tunisia that are due to start after July 4.
The firm said that it was offering customers “up to and including July 4 the opportunity to cancel or amend their holiday free of charge. For those traveling from July 5, we are offering to amend their bookings to Tunisia free of charge for holidays departing up to and including July 31 2015.”
26 June 2015
Tunisia cannot cope with the international extremism threat on its own, said President Beji Caid Essebsi, calling for a global strategy to tackle the terrorists.
“We note that Tunisia faces an international movement. It cannot respond alone to this. On the same day at the same time France has been the target of such an operation, and Kuwait too,” he told AFP. “This proves the need for a global strategy, and that all democratic countries must now join forces.”
The Islamic State terrorist group has claimed responsibility for the deadly attack on tourists at a Tunisian beach which claimed at least 39 lives, Reuters reports citing social media accounts associated with the jihadists.
"Our brother, the soldier of the Caliphate, Abu Yihya al-Kairouni, reached his target the Imperial hotel despite the security measures," the statement said. It said he had attacked a "bordel" and killed "infidels'.
The number of those killed in the terrorist attack on tourists has increased to 39, said the head of Sousse Civil Defense, Mohamed Saleh Benanis, as cited by RIA. Another 40 people were injured in the attack, according to the latest data.
At least five Britons have been killed in the attack on the Tunisian resort, British Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond said adding that the death toll of UK nationals could rise.
Hours after the Tunisia hotel attack, people are still looking for their loved ones who are believed to have been at the scene of the attack and who are still out of contact. They have been utilizing social media, posting pleas for help:
#FindSueDavey#Tunisia haven't spoke to my mom since attack an phone has been handed in please RT !! pic.twitter.com/RfwQQv49le
— Conor Fulford (@ConorFulford) June 26, 2015
Haven't spoke to my Dad since the attack, please, please, please RT as he is missing along with his partner #Tunisiapic.twitter.com/s1Mp2loO1W
— A$AP ROSSI (@rossinaylor) June 26, 2015
Thank you so much everyone for your help. It means the world. #Tunisia#JohnStockerpic.twitter.com/xpU4QqF46x
— Samuel Stocker (@SLStocker91) June 26, 2015
Frederic Bobin, a North Africa corespondent with French newspaper Le Monde, reported that the gunman, who carried out the terrorist act in Tunisia hotel killing at least 37, was throwing grenades and was able to continue the attack for around 30 minutes “like he owned the place”. Such revelations are likely to raise questions concerning the Tunisian security service's response, particularly in the view of the museum massacre earlier this year.
#Sousse#Tunisie Precision: le tueur a lancé une grenade le bureau de la direction car des touristes s'y étaient réfugiés.
— Frédéric Bobin (@FrdricBobin) June 26, 2015
#Sousse#Tunisie. Le tueur à pu opérer autour de 30 ms "comme s'il se promenait tranquillement chez lui", selon un employé.
— Frédéric Bobin (@FrdricBobin) June 26, 2015
UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and the UN Security Council denounced the terrorist attacks in Tunisia, Kuwait and France on Friday calling for justice and reaffirmed their commitment to fighting extremism. UN spokesman Farhan Haq said that these “heinous attacks” would only strengthen the UN commitment to stand against extremists adding that international community’s determination to combat “the scourge of terrorism” is “far from weakening”.
Three photos initially released by Twitter accounts supporting ISIS are circulating online – they purport to show the gunman who killed 37 and wounded 36 people in Tunisia. The man in the pictures is walking down the street carrying an assault rifle. However, the authenticity of the photos cannot be immediately verified, since the gunman who attacked the hotel is said to have been disguised as a tourist and hid his weapon in an umbrella.
#ISIS terrorist in #Tunisia holding his weapon and prepared to fire at civilians in #Sousapic.twitter.com/TCwmHdL6Un
— Elijah J. Magnier (@EjmAlrai) June 26, 2015
The Riu Imperial Marhaba confirmed that 13 people from the hotel have been taken to local hospitals, including both resort guests and staff members.
“As per now we can confirm that there are 13 injured persons who were taken to area hospitals, including nine guests and four hotel employees. We have been informed that their injuries are not life-threatening and all are recovering,” the hotel website statement said.
The hotel expected to know the exact death toll by Saturday morning, it added.
The atmosphere at the resorts in the Sousse area is relatively calm, a TASS correspondent who has been vacationing in one of the hotels in the area told the agency.
“This terror act will not interfere with our plans, I'm not going to leave earlier,” Natalia Ermakova said.
She reported the appearance of an armed security officer on the roof on top of her hotel. Security has been tightened in tourist areas in Tunisia, with extra police squads and national guards patrolling such areas. The safeguarding of embassies, as well as state institutions and a number of main roads has been ramped up too, TASS reported.
Sousse - hotel is calm, full of police and army, tourists in shock sitting around in groups.
— Chris Stephen (@reportingLibya) June 26, 2015
Russian President Vladimir Putin has expressed his deepest condolences to Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi, the Kremlin press service said on Friday.
Putin has strongly condemned the crime and confirmed Russia's readiness to work closely together with Tunisian authorities to fight the terror threat, the statement said.
Tunisia is facing a shortage of psychological aid for survivors of the hotel attack, AP reported the country's health ministry spokesman as saying.
Meanwhile, a representative of a Tunisian travel agent association told local radio that cooperation with tour operators was underway so that foreign tourists could be repatriated should they wish to leave the country.
Terrorism Expert Max Abrahms told RT that "all 3 terror attacks are soft targets."
The death toll from the attack has risen to 37, Reuters cited the country's health ministry as saying.
The gunman killed by police at the beach resort area was acting alone during the attack, AP reported, citing Tunisia's Interior Ministry.
The ministry has previously said two gunmen were involved in the terrorist act, with one of them shot by security forces and another having fled the scene.
The occupancy rate at the Marhaba Hotel was 77 percent at the time of the attack, with 565 guests staying there, the hotel said on Friday. "The majority of the guests are from the UK and other central European countries," the hotel said in a statement, adding that it's "not possible at the moment to confirm the nationalities or any other details of the victims." Tunisian authorities are working in the area, the hotel said.
Full Statement by FM #Steinmeier on the „cowardly attack" on tourists in #Tunisia. #Tunesie#Sousse#SousseAttackpic.twitter.com/JBEDExIudo
— GermanForeignOffice (@GermanyDiplo) June 26, 2015
Bidit Dey, political commentator, lecturer at Brunel University in London, told RT that "Muslims should't feel guilty for what they have not done."
There have been conflicting reports on the fate of the second gunman connected with Friday’s attack. While there have been reports with photos emerging from Sousse showing a man being escorted through the streets by armed police, allegedly in connection with the shooting, no confirmation from authorities of the capture of the second suspect have been released.
Images of an alleged third gunman in the Tunisia resort area have also been circulating on Twitter.
Member tour operators of the Association of British Travel Agents are holding urgent discussions over whether to bring tourists home and cancel holidays, the Mirror reported.
Friday’s attack resulted in 28 deaths, Tunisia’s health ministry said in a statement, Reuters reported. British, German and Belgian nationals are among the victims.
One of the gunmen, shot by security forces after the attack, was unknown to authorities, Tunisia's top security official Rafik Chelli told Mosaique FM, as cited by AP. He said the man was from the Tunisian city of Kairouan.
There are many foreigners among the victims, according to the official, who couldn’t specify an exact count of the nationalities.
The number of casualties in Friday’s attack has risen to 36, RIA Novosti cited the Tunisian health minister as saying. According to the source, 10 of the injured are in critical condition.
Three people killed on the beach were "elderly people," two women and one man, an eyewitness told LifeNews.
Russian tourist Aleksey Petrov staying in a nearby hotel said he was in the lobby around 11:50am local time when he saw "concerned" security people "running towards the beach." The man followed them and saw "three elderly people there who have been shot," he told LifeNews.
One of the police officers at the beach told him 10 Russians had been killed, Petrov said, adding that he hoped it wasn't true.
RT's latest report on the attack:
The gunmen arrived at the scene by sea on an inflatable boat, TASS reported, citing Tunisian radio Mosaique FM, who referred to eyewitnesses. The attackers first opened fire at tourists on the beach and then entered the Imperial Marhaba Hotel and began firing from the machine gun that they carried in an umbrella case. They also carried grenades, according to witnesses.
The death toll has risen to 30 people, RIA Novosti reported, citing a source in the Interior Ministry. Three people who had been injured are believed to have died, the source said.
Airplane destined for #Sousse region in #Tunisia returns to Brussels -- what will others do? pic.twitter.com/dHKLuKh4dN
— Anno Bunnik بونيك (@Eurabist) June 26, 2015
British Prime Minister David Cameron condemned the "appalling" attacks on Friday at a news conference in Brussels at the end of the EU summit.
"This is a threat that faces all of us, these events that have taken place today in Tunisia and in France, but they can happen anywhere - we all face this threat," he told reporters, as cited by Reuters.
Britain's emergency response committee COBRA will meet later on Friday "to make sure we are doing everything we can to cooperate and coordinate with other countries," Cameron said
Freelance journalist Bel Trew describes scene in Sousse
The police operation to catch the second gunman is ongoing as are exchanges of fire, Interior Ministry spokesman Mohammed Ali Aroui said, adding that another gunman behind "the terrorist attack was killed during an exchange of fire with security forces."
"A terrorist infiltrated the buildings from the back before opening fire on the residents of the hotel, including foreigners and Tunisians,'' the official said.
Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has confirmed that one of the two beachside hotels where tourists were shot in Tunisia, killing at least 27 people, is owned by a Spanish company.
It seems under control now. Feel shocked the the loss of life.
— John Yeoman (@johnyeo68) June 26, 2015
The UK Foreign Office has set up an emergency hotline for people in Britain concerned about relatives in Tunisia. Any British nationals in Tunisia should make contact with the embassy there, a spokesman said.
Witnesses said people were "all in shock." Tourists barricaded themselves in their rooms, fearing more gunfire.
Hope it's enough pic.twitter.com/XaW4yTpplU
— John Yeoman (@johnyeo68) June 26, 2015
Foreigners have been reported among the attack casualties, with the destination popular among Europeans, especially Brits.
Interior Ministry spokesman Mohammed Ali Aroui has not provided any information on the victims’ nationalities, but confirmed that those killed were mostly tourists.
According to eyewitnesses, the attack casualties also include a Russian woman who was wounded in the leg. The Russian Consulate is checking this information, Sputnik reported.
A hotel worker at the site described one of the attackers as a "young" man dressed "like he was a tourist himself."
"He was a young guy dressed in shorts," the Mirror quoted the eyewitness as saying.
"The terrorist opened fire on tourists at the Imperial hotel in the Tunisian city of Sousse. The second attack was perpetrated by another terrorist not far from there. I think the two attackers preplanned which area each of them would target," Aisha as-Saafi, journalist with Tunisian newspaper Ad-Damir told Sputnik news agency.
According to the ministry spokesman, one of the unidentified shooters was killed by security forces at the scene. Another attacker was pursued, and later reportedly captured in Sousse.
Tourist Elizabeth O’Brien from Dublin described the ordeal to RTE radio.
She said that she and her two sons were just getting out of the sea when she heard gunfire.
“It was about 12 o’clock and I just looked up about 500 meters from me and I saw a [hot air] balloon collapse down, then rapid firing, then I saw two of the people who were going to go up in the balloon start to run towards me - because I thought it was fireworks.”
O’Brien managed to grab her children and belongings and run to their hotel room.
“My travel agent told me to go to the reception to speak to the rep, but I’m afraid. I’m stuck in the room with my two sons, not knowing what’s going on,” the woman said.
We were in the pool when we heard automatic gun fire. People ran past saying there was an armed man on the beach
— John Yeoman (@johnyeo68) June 26, 2015
At least 27 people have been reported dead by the Interior Ministry and over 20 injured according to local media after two gunmen armed with Kalashnikov rifles reportedly penetrated a private area and opened fire. Panic was reported at the scene, with the ministry saying the death toll could rise.
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