At least 19 people, including 17 foreign tourists, were killed Wednesday when gunmen stormed Tunisia's national museum and took several hostages, according to the country's Prime Minister Habib Essid. State TV said that two gunmen and a policeman were killed and that the hostage crisis was over. Italian, Spanish, German and Polish nationals were among those killed, as well as a Tunisian, Essid said. An official at the Italian foreign ministry in Rome said that two Italians had been wounded in the attack. About another 100 Italians were in the area and had been taken to safety by Tunisian police, authorities added. Video footage of the hostage-taking showed tourists running for shelter as armed police units surrounded the Bardo Museum, which is near the parliament building in central Tunis. ‘Horrible crime' The attack on such a high-profile target is a huge blow for a country that relies heavily on European tourism and has so far avoided major militant violence since its 2011 uprising to oust autocrat Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali. President Beji Caid Essebsi said his government had "taken measures" to prevent any new attacks after Wednesday's assault. "All of the authorities have been informed and I hope such a disaster will not happen again," he told reporters as he visited victims of the attack in a Tunis hospital. "I hope that the means available to us will become more efficient," he said. He described the attack as a "horrible crime" and said he had assured the wounded of "our support, our sympathy and our regrets that such a thing has happened." Tunisians fighting jihad abroad Tunisia's uprising inspired "Arab Spring" revolts in neighbouring Libya, Egypt, Syria and Yemen. But its adoption of a new constitution and staging of largely peaceful elections has won widespread praise and put Tunisia in stark contrast to the chaos that has plagued those countries. Several militant groups have emerged in Tunisia since the uprising, including Ansar al Sharia which is listed as a terrorist organisation by the United States. Authorities estimate 3,000 Tunisians have also joined militant groups in Iraq and Syria, including the Islamic State (IS) group. Some of these militants have returned home, increasing government fears of an attack on Tunisian soil. IS group affiliates in Libya are gaining a foothold as two rival governments there battle for control. A senior Tunisian militant was killed while fighting for the IS group in the Libyan city of Sirte over the past week, authorities said.
