Tourists Killed in Attack on Museum in Tunis

Mar 17, 2015 9:05pm

19 people have been killed in an attack on the National Bardo Museum in downtown Tunis, the New York Times reports.

Update 1:04 pm: Prime Minister Habib Essid has told the Times that 22 more people had been injured in the attack. According to local media reports, a possible third gunman may still be at large. 

According to the Guardian, the above photo shows people inside the museum. The people pictured were not hostages. // Photo via Twitter

While the identity and motivation of the attackers is not clear at this time, officials said it was possible that the Parliament, where some reports said legislators were discussing an antiterrorism law, was the original target of the attack, according to the Times. 

Update as of 11:00 am: Citing a government spokesperson, Reuters is reporting that security forces have stormed the museum, killing two militants. The raid freed all captives. 

Update as of 11:39 am: According to the Guardian, 17 of the dead were foreigners from Germany, Italy, Spain and Poland. Yesterday, Tunisian security officials had confirmed the death of a suspect in Tunisian terror attacks in the neighboring country of Libya. 

CNN reports that the museum is dedicated to Tunisian art, culture and history, with a collection of mosaics, sculpture and other artifacts. 

Keep visiting www.travelagentcentral.com for further updates on this developing story.