Tunisia Museum Under Siege: Militants Kill 17 Western Tourists

In one of the worst militant attacks in the African country, 17 foreign tourists from Italy, Germany, Poland and Spain, and 2 Tunisians were slaughtered by militants armed with grenades and assault rifles at Tunisia’s national museum on March 18.

The three-hour long siege took place at the Bardo Museum in Tunis and concluded when security forces stormed the building, killed the two militants disguised in military clothes, and freed other tourists held hostage inside. The militants had entered the museum through the country’s parliament, located nearby. Around 200 people were believed to have been in the museum when the militants attacked.

Yesterday Tunisia's Tourism minister said the country was safe for tourists & would focus on promoting Bardo museum http://t.co/Sa0UJ8Siny

— Mohamed Yehia (@yeh1a) March 18, 2015

Ironically, MPs @ Tunisia's parliament, right beside the Bardo museum, were discussing the 2003 Anti-terror Law when the attack happened

— Monica Marks (@MonicaLMarks) March 18, 2015

Coincidence, conspiracy or simply ironic?

Interior ministry officials said 8 tourists were killed as they got off a bus to visit the museum; 10 more were taken hostage and then killed. A Tunisian museum guard, who was injured in the attack, died later of his wounds.

Prime Minister Essid declared in a national address, “All Tunisians should be united after this attack which was aimed at destroying the Tunisian economy”.

European Union Foreign Policy Chief Federica Mogherini said Islamic State militants were behind the attack adding, “The EU is determined to mobilise all the tools it has to fully support Tunisia in the fight against terrorism”.

French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said, “We are condemning this terrorist attack in the strongest terms. We are standing by the Tunisian government. We are very alert about how the situation is evolving”.

The #Bardo Museum in #Tunisia houses collection of Roman mosaics. This image circulating after today’s attack: pic.twitter.com/C5EmRnqkuX

— David Clinch (@DavidClinchNews) March 18, 2015

Tunisia’s 2011 uprising that ousted autocrat Zine El-Abidine Ben Ali inspired Arab Spring revolts Libya, Egypt, Syria and Yemen. Several Islamist militant groups also emerged in Tunisia while thousands of Tunisians joined fighters in Iraq and Syria

I suspect we’re in World War III. The Muslims and Marxists are at war with the free world. #tcot Tunisia #ccot pic.twitter.com/StKAqEHWWj

— Al Gorelioni (@Al_Gorelioni) March 18, 2015

This is the worst attack involving foreigners in Tunisia since an Al-Qaeda suicide bombing on a synagogue killed 21 people on the tourist island of Djerba in 2002.

#Bardo: MPs defiantly sing #Tunisia‘s anthem while locked down in parliament https://t.co/y6tPdbpacr @rosiescammell pic.twitter.com/70HKPahfos

— rui borges (@homo_viator) March 18, 2015