Rabat - Gunmen killed at least eight people in Tunisia, including seven foreigners and a Tunisian national at the National Bardo Museum near the country's parliament, Tunisian officials said.
According to France24, the assailants, who are believed to have also taken hostages, are being surrounded by security forces at the famed National Bardo Museum, a popular attraction among tourists for its archeological and Roman mosaics collections.
The Tunisian Interior Minister said that security forces are surrounding two Islamist militants in military garb inside the museum that shares grounds with the country's parliament.
The country's government building was reportedly evacuated shortly after noon Wednesday.
In February, Tunisia's Interior Ministry announced that authorities arrested over 100 alleged extremist who were planning terrorist attacks.
2.500 to 3,000 Tunisians are believed to have joined the ranks of extremist groups in Iraq and Syria, mainly the so-called Islamic State.
Interior Ministry spokesperson: 8 tourists killed in Bardo museum "@RadioMosaiqueFM: ???? ??? ?????? : ???? 8 ????? ?? ?????? " #Tunisia
— Farah Samti (@Farah_SamT) March 18, 2015
Les forces de sécurité à l'intérieur du musée #Bardo via @TUNISCOPEcom pic.twitter.com/CXk2AaP7J4 — Khaled Belkhodja (@KBelkodja) March 18, 2015
#Tunisie #Tunisia another pic for the safe tourists now . God bless us god Bless Tunisia pic.twitter.com/e5Hmx2uwcV — Farouk Afi (@farouk3afi) March 18, 2015
One security officer killed during confrontation with the attackers in Bardo #Tunisia #Bardo — Farah Samti (@Farah_SamT) March 18, 2015
Photo by AFP/ FETHI BELAID
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