Tunisia: Presidential Guard Bus Bomb Kills 12
A dozen people have been killed after an
attack on a bus carrying the presidential
guard in the Tunisian capital.
The 12 are all thought
to have been officers,
with a security source at the site in central Tunis
saying "most of the agents who were on the bus
are dead".
Twenty people were injured in the attack, which
took place at around 5pm local time and as the
presidential guards were on their way to the
president's palace.
It is thought the attack was probably carried out
by a bomber detonating explosives from inside
the vehicle.
Tunisian president Beji Caid Essebsi has
cancelled a trip to Switzerland planned for
Wednesday.
He also declared a state of emergency for 30
days and imposed a curfew in the capital.
It is the third major terrorist attack in Tunisia
this year after 21 tourists were killed at the
Bardo Museum in Tunis in March and 38
people, including 30 Britons, were shot dead at
a beach in Sousse in June.
Both attacks were claimed by Islamic State.
Tunisia has struggled with its jihadist problem
since it was hailed as an example of democracy
after its 2011 uprising ousted autocrat Zine
Abidine Ben Ali.
Despite free elections and a new constitution,
the country still finds itself at a loss on how to
stop several thousands of its citizens heading to
fight in Syria, Iraq and Libya.
There are regular arrests of suspected jihadists
announced by the government, including the
recent detaining of seven women for engaging
in pro-IS propaganda, while 20 people were
arrested on suspicion of planning attacks on
hotels and security facilities.
There are also skirmishes between the Tunisian
army and other Islamist militants in the
mountains which border Algeria.
attack on a bus carrying the presidential
guard in the Tunisian capital.
The 12 are all thought
to have been officers,
with a security source at the site in central Tunis
saying "most of the agents who were on the bus
are dead".
Twenty people were injured in the attack, which
took place at around 5pm local time and as the
presidential guards were on their way to the
president's palace.
It is thought the attack was probably carried out
by a bomber detonating explosives from inside
the vehicle.
Tunisian president Beji Caid Essebsi has
cancelled a trip to Switzerland planned for
Wednesday.
He also declared a state of emergency for 30
days and imposed a curfew in the capital.
It is the third major terrorist attack in Tunisia
this year after 21 tourists were killed at the
Bardo Museum in Tunis in March and 38
people, including 30 Britons, were shot dead at
a beach in Sousse in June.
Both attacks were claimed by Islamic State.
Tunisia has struggled with its jihadist problem
since it was hailed as an example of democracy
after its 2011 uprising ousted autocrat Zine
Abidine Ben Ali.
Despite free elections and a new constitution,
the country still finds itself at a loss on how to
stop several thousands of its citizens heading to
fight in Syria, Iraq and Libya.
There are regular arrests of suspected jihadists
announced by the government, including the
recent detaining of seven women for engaging
in pro-IS propaganda, while 20 people were
arrested on suspicion of planning attacks on
hotels and security facilities.
There are also skirmishes between the Tunisian
army and other Islamist militants in the
mountains which border Algeria.
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