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| Tunisia Gunmen Target Tourism, Killing 19 at an Art Museum | |
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| CAIRO — Gunmen in military uniforms mounted a brazen midday attack on a museum in central Tunis on Wednesday, killing 19 people. The attack dealt a new blow to Tunisia’s pivotal tourist industry as the country struggles to consolidate its transition to democracy after the Arab Spring revolt. | CAIRO — Gunmen in military uniforms mounted a brazen midday attack on a museum in central Tunis on Wednesday, killing 19 people. The attack dealt a new blow to Tunisia’s pivotal tourist industry as the country struggles to consolidate its transition to democracy after the Arab Spring revolt. |
| Prime Minister Habib Essid said in a news conference that security forces killed two gunmen inside the building, the National Bardo Museum, but that two or three accomplices might still be at large. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, but supporters of the militant group Islamic State celebrated the attack in social media postings. | Prime Minister Habib Essid said in a news conference that security forces killed two gunmen inside the building, the National Bardo Museum, but that two or three accomplices might still be at large. There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack, but supporters of the militant group Islamic State celebrated the attack in social media postings. |
| Mr. Essid said that 17 foreign visitors were killed, including Polish, Italian, Spanish and German tourists, and that two Tunisians were killed, one of them a member of the security forces. At least 20 others were injured. | Mr. Essid said that 17 foreign visitors were killed, including Polish, Italian, Spanish and German tourists, and that two Tunisians were killed, one of them a member of the security forces. At least 20 others were injured. |
| Tunisian officials said earlier that the attackers had killed nine people and taken 10 hostages, but after security forces entered and retook the museum about three hours later, the death toll increased to 19, raising questions about how and when the 10 hostages had died. | Tunisian officials said earlier that the attackers had killed nine people and taken 10 hostages, but after security forces entered and retook the museum about three hours later, the death toll increased to 19, raising questions about how and when the 10 hostages had died. |
| Calling the attack “the first operation of its kind ever to occur in Tunisia” because it struck directly at the country’s crucial tourism industry, Mr. Essid urged Tunisians to unite against the terrorist threat. “We will show no compassion and no mercy in defending our country,” he said. | Calling the attack “the first operation of its kind ever to occur in Tunisia” because it struck directly at the country’s crucial tourism industry, Mr. Essid urged Tunisians to unite against the terrorist threat. “We will show no compassion and no mercy in defending our country,” he said. |
| Mr. Essid said that the two gunmen who were killed were believed to be Tunisians, but their identity and motives were not immediately clear. | Mr. Essid said that the two gunmen who were killed were believed to be Tunisians, but their identity and motives were not immediately clear. |
| Tunisia has made more progress in its transition from dictatorship to democracy than any other state in the Arab world, recently completing presidential and parliamentary elections and a peaceful handover of political power from one governing party to another. | Tunisia has made more progress in its transition from dictatorship to democracy than any other state in the Arab world, recently completing presidential and parliamentary elections and a peaceful handover of political power from one governing party to another. |
| But its security forces have also struggled to deal with periodic attacks by Islamist extremists. And Tunisia has emerged as one the biggest sources of foreign fighters joining the Islamic State militant group, also known as ISIS or ISIL, in Syria and Iraq. | But its security forces have also struggled to deal with periodic attacks by Islamist extremists. And Tunisia has emerged as one the biggest sources of foreign fighters joining the Islamic State militant group, also known as ISIS or ISIL, in Syria and Iraq. |
| The advent of democracy has provided new freedom for the group’s recruiters to preach their message, while the country struggles with an economy hobbled by years of tumult and with an abusive police force left over from the authoritarian system that broke down in 2011. It is easy to find young Tunisians who are captivated by the militants’ promises of justice and opportunity. | The advent of democracy has provided new freedom for the group’s recruiters to preach their message, while the country struggles with an economy hobbled by years of tumult and with an abusive police force left over from the authoritarian system that broke down in 2011. It is easy to find young Tunisians who are captivated by the militants’ promises of justice and opportunity. |
| No specific evidence had emerged by Wednesday night linking the museum attack to the Islamic State. But its supporters celebrated the attack on social media, citing a video posted online in December that warned of attacks to come. In the video, Boubakr Hakim, a Tunisian militant known as Abu Moqatel, urged support for the Islamic State, claimed responsibility for the assassinations of two left-leaning Tunisian politicians and warned, “You will not live in safety as long as Tunisia is not ruled by Islam.” | No specific evidence had emerged by Wednesday night linking the museum attack to the Islamic State. But its supporters celebrated the attack on social media, citing a video posted online in December that warned of attacks to come. In the video, Boubakr Hakim, a Tunisian militant known as Abu Moqatel, urged support for the Islamic State, claimed responsibility for the assassinations of two left-leaning Tunisian politicians and warned, “You will not live in safety as long as Tunisia is not ruled by Islam.” |
| The Tunisian Parliament, whose building is near the museum in the historic medina, or ancient quarter, of the capital, was debating legislation to combat terrorism as the attack began. Security forces evacuated the building. Tunisian officials speculated on Wednesday that the Parliament might have been the attackers’ intended target. | The Tunisian Parliament, whose building is near the museum in the historic medina, or ancient quarter, of the capital, was debating legislation to combat terrorism as the attack began. Security forces evacuated the building. Tunisian officials speculated on Wednesday that the Parliament might have been the attackers’ intended target. |
| Instead, though, the attackers moved toward the museum at around 12:30 p.m., just as buses were unloading hundreds of tourists from cruise ships in the harbor, witnesses said. The two gunmen were dressed in military-style uniforms and were armed with grenades and assault rifles, officials said. | Instead, though, the attackers moved toward the museum at around 12:30 p.m., just as buses were unloading hundreds of tourists from cruise ships in the harbor, witnesses said. The two gunmen were dressed in military-style uniforms and were armed with grenades and assault rifles, officials said. |
| Noriko Yuki, 35, a Japanese tourist who arrived in Tunis Wednesday morning on a cruise from Italy with her mother, said she heard bullets flying over their heads and swiftly dropped to the ground, but one grazed her cheek. | Noriko Yuki, 35, a Japanese tourist who arrived in Tunis Wednesday morning on a cruise from Italy with her mother, said she heard bullets flying over their heads and swiftly dropped to the ground, but one grazed her cheek. |
| “I started shaking my mother to see if she was alive, but she was not responding,” Ms. Yuki said in an interview at the hospital where she taken by the security forces. “I lost track of her.” | “I started shaking my mother to see if she was alive, but she was not responding,” Ms. Yuki said in an interview at the hospital where she taken by the security forces. “I lost track of her.” |
| The Italian Foreign Ministry said that three Italian citizens were among the dead and at least six were injured. Many of the cruise ship passengers were Italian, a cruise line spokesman said. Piero Fassino, the mayor of Turin, Italy, told Italian television that six City Hall workers were at the museum during the attack, but that only two had been heard from. “We are waiting for news with a certain anguish,” he said. | The Italian Foreign Ministry said that three Italian citizens were among the dead and at least six were injured. Many of the cruise ship passengers were Italian, a cruise line spokesman said. Piero Fassino, the mayor of Turin, Italy, told Italian television that six City Hall workers were at the museum during the attack, but that only two had been heard from. “We are waiting for news with a certain anguish,” he said. |
| The attack on the museum appeared to be the deadliest terrorist attack involving foreigners in Tunisia since 2002, when a truck filled with propane was detonated outside a synagogue on the island of Djerba, killing 21 people including some European tourists. | The attack on the museum appeared to be the deadliest terrorist attack involving foreigners in Tunisia since 2002, when a truck filled with propane was detonated outside a synagogue on the island of Djerba, killing 21 people including some European tourists. |
| The Bardo Museum houses a large collection of antiquities, including many important mosaics dating from the Roman and Carthaginian era, as well as Phoenician and Byzantine ceramics, statuary and jewelry, among other works. “This is one of the most important museums in North Africa,” said Mounir Bouchenaki, who heads the Arab Regional Center for World Heritage for Unesco, the United Nations cultural agency. | The Bardo Museum houses a large collection of antiquities, including many important mosaics dating from the Roman and Carthaginian era, as well as Phoenician and Byzantine ceramics, statuary and jewelry, among other works. “This is one of the most important museums in North Africa,” said Mounir Bouchenaki, who heads the Arab Regional Center for World Heritage for Unesco, the United Nations cultural agency. |
| Militants have sometimes destroyed ancient cultural artifacts in Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere that they deemed un-Islamic. But Unesco said in a statement Wednesday evening that there was no sign of damage to the Bardo Museum or its collection. | Militants have sometimes destroyed ancient cultural artifacts in Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere that they deemed un-Islamic. But Unesco said in a statement Wednesday evening that there was no sign of damage to the Bardo Museum or its collection. |