Terror in Tunisia as Terrorists Assault Art Museum

Nearly 20 people were killed when gunmen opened fire and took hostages in an area popular with tourists in the Tunisian capital of Tunis.

The New York Times reports that 19 people were killed and another 20 injured as Tunisian security forces sought to regain control of the National Bardo Museum. The victims were predominantly European tourists from the countries of Italy, Poland, Spain and Germany. At least three of the victims were from Italy. Two Tunisians, one of whom was a member of the security forces, were also killed.

Two suspected gunman were killed in firefights with Tunisian security, and it is thought that there may be an additional two or three gunmen on the loose.

The site of the attack is home to a number of ancient treasures and antiquities. It is also not far from the Tunisian Parliament, which went into a lockdown. Although in lockdown, the Tunisian lawmakers kept their spirits up and showed the world they would not live in fear of terrorism by singing the national anthem in unison.

No groups have officially claimed responsibility for the attack. Political Islam, in both progressive and reactionary forms, is very popular in Tunisia. There are a number of radical reactionary Islamist outfits in the country, but none have yet said they were responsible. Tunisia is also a major source of manpower for the Islamic State.

Social media accounts supportive of the Islamic State tried to take responsibility for the attack, but the group has not issued any official communications regarding the incident.

The attack occurred just as the tourists disembarked from a cruise ship that had called to port.