8 Tourists Shot Dead Near Tunisian Parliament, Reports of Hostages Taken In Nearby Museum
Eight people are dead after gunmen opened fired on Tunisia’s most prominent museum on Wednesday in the capital city of Tunis, the country’s Interior Ministry has confirmed.Seven of the victims were tourists and one from Tunisia, the ministry said on local radio. They did not immediately identify the victims’ nationalities.
Photos shared on social media purport to be from tourists held captive inside the Bardo Museum, which is very close to the national parliament. That building was evacuated after shooting broke out around midday Wednesday. They look like the museum’s interior but have not been confirmed to have been taken Wednesday.
Private radio station Radio Mosaique said that three men dressed in military-style clothing may have taken hostages inside the museum. The museum chronicles Tunisia’s history and includes one of the world’s largest collections of Roman mosaics. Tunisia has struggled with violence by Islamic extremists since overthrowing a dictator in 2011, including from the Islamic State.
