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| Gunmen attack museum in Tunisia, kill at least 17 foreign tourists | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| CAIRO — Gunmen wearing military uniforms opened fire on visitors at Tunisia’s most prominent museum Wednesday in an ambush-style siege that left at least 19 people dead, including 17 foreigners, and raised worries of expanding attacks by militants linked to the Islamic State, officials said. | CAIRO — Gunmen wearing military uniforms opened fire on visitors at Tunisia’s most prominent museum Wednesday in an ambush-style siege that left at least 19 people dead, including 17 foreigners, and raised worries of expanding attacks by militants linked to the Islamic State, officials said. |
| A raid by security forces freed hostages and killed two suspected assailants. But Tunisia’s prime minister said some attackers may have escaped after the deadliest terrorist strike in more than a decade in the tiny North African nation — whose economy depends heavily on tourism. | A raid by security forces freed hostages and killed two suspected assailants. But Tunisia’s prime minister said some attackers may have escaped after the deadliest terrorist strike in more than a decade in the tiny North African nation — whose economy depends heavily on tourism. |
| “All Tunisians should be united after this attack, which was aimed at destroying the Tunisian economy,” said the prime minister, Habib Essid, in a nationally broadcast address. | |
| Although authorities first placed the overall death toll at 21 — including the two attackers — a later report by state television said a total of 22 were killed. It did not immediately provide details. | |
| A full breakdown of the victims’ nationalities was not immediately available, but Essid said citizens from Italy, Germany, Poland and Spain were among the dead. | |
| Essid also said as many as three suspected attackers could have slipped away and may be on the loose, but he gave no other details. | |
| There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack on the Bardo National Museum in the capital, Tunis. | There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack on the Bardo National Museum in the capital, Tunis. |
| But it followed mounting bloodshed and clashes in neighboring Libya linked to the expanding presence of militants pledging allegiance to the Islamic State, including a recent battle that killed a most-wanted Tunisian-born extremist. | |
| The European Union’s foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, openly speculated that Islamic State-linked militants were to blame. She pledged to “mobilize all the tools” of the E.U. to help Tunisia fight terrorism. | |
| The attack began as gunmen opened fire on tourists getting off buses outside the museum, which is located near the country’s parliament building, officials said. The attackers then fled into the museum’s marble and stone galleries, taking hostages or forcing visitors to hide in fear. | The attack began as gunmen opened fire on tourists getting off buses outside the museum, which is located near the country’s parliament building, officials said. The attackers then fled into the museum’s marble and stone galleries, taking hostages or forcing visitors to hide in fear. |
| “There is great chaos, shots and shouts,” a French tourist, identified only as Geraldine, said in a telephone call from inside the museum, according to audio posted on the Web site of the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera. | |
| Images posted on social media showed people cowering against walls and amid museum displays. Outside, security forces fanned out before mounting the assault. Dozens of people soon poured out of the museum’s grand doors. | Images posted on social media showed people cowering against walls and amid museum displays. Outside, security forces fanned out before mounting the assault. Dozens of people soon poured out of the museum’s grand doors. |
| The Bardo museum, the site of a 19th century palace and dating back centuries further, is among the major tourist sites in Tunisia and contains extensive collections of antiquities including Roman mosaics and pieces from Islam’s spread across North Africa. | The Bardo museum, the site of a 19th century palace and dating back centuries further, is among the major tourist sites in Tunisia and contains extensive collections of antiquities including Roman mosaics and pieces from Islam’s spread across North Africa. |
| [Tunisia’s new president describes his reformist agenda] | [Tunisia’s new president describes his reformist agenda] |
| Tunisia has grappled with rising extremism and Islamist militancy since a popular uprising ousted strongman Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali in 2011. | Tunisia has grappled with rising extremism and Islamist militancy since a popular uprising ousted strongman Zine el-Abidine Ben Ali in 2011. |
| The country of roughly 10 million has been lauded as a model of democratic transition following the Arab Spring, which began with protests in Tunisia when a vegetable seller set himself on fire in December 2010 after complaining of harassment by local officials. | The country of roughly 10 million has been lauded as a model of democratic transition following the Arab Spring, which began with protests in Tunisia when a vegetable seller set himself on fire in December 2010 after complaining of harassment by local officials. |
| Tunisia has largely escaped the bloody civil wars and rampant political instability that have plagued other countries in the region. | Tunisia has largely escaped the bloody civil wars and rampant political instability that have plagued other countries in the region. |
| [Tunisia sends most foreign fighters to Islamic State in Syria] | [Tunisia sends most foreign fighters to Islamic State in Syria] |
| But it has also contributed a staggering number of fighters to the ranks of jihadist groups in Syria, including the Islamic State. Successive Tunisian governments have struggled to curb the flow of young Tunisians to battlefields elsewhere in the Middle East. | But it has also contributed a staggering number of fighters to the ranks of jihadist groups in Syria, including the Islamic State. Successive Tunisian governments have struggled to curb the flow of young Tunisians to battlefields elsewhere in the Middle East. |
| At the same time, Tunisian security forces have waged skirmishes against militants at home. Those jihadists are largely entrenched near the country’s border with Algeria but have engaged in firefights with Tunisian police in and near the capital recently. | At the same time, Tunisian security forces have waged skirmishes against militants at home. Those jihadists are largely entrenched near the country’s border with Algeria but have engaged in firefights with Tunisian police in and near the capital recently. |
| “It is not by chance that today’s terrorism affects a country that represents hope for the Arab world,” said French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, whose country was hit in January by a string of Islamist attacks, including a deadly assault on the satirical Paris-based newspaper Charlie Hebdo. | |
| “The hope for peace, the hope for stability, the hope for democracy — this hope must live,” Fabius added. | “The hope for peace, the hope for stability, the hope for democracy — this hope must live,” Fabius added. |
| On Tuesday, the Tunisian government said a top commander for the Islamic State — and one of Tunisia’s most-wanted militants — was killed while fighting in neighboring Libya. | On Tuesday, the Tunisian government said a top commander for the Islamic State — and one of Tunisia’s most-wanted militants — was killed while fighting in neighboring Libya. |
| The Islamic State posted a statement on a militant Web site saying Ahmed al-Rouissi was killed in clashes around Sirte, a stronghold for a group pledging loyalty to the Islamic State. | The Islamic State posted a statement on a militant Web site saying Ahmed al-Rouissi was killed in clashes around Sirte, a stronghold for a group pledging loyalty to the Islamic State. |
| The 48-year-old Rouissi was considered the mastermind in a string of attacks in Tunisia linked to the a faction known as Ansar al-Shariah, including the 2013 killings of two Western-oriented political leaders, Chokri Belaid and Mohammed Brahmi. | The 48-year-old Rouissi was considered the mastermind in a string of attacks in Tunisia linked to the a faction known as Ansar al-Shariah, including the 2013 killings of two Western-oriented political leaders, Chokri Belaid and Mohammed Brahmi. |
| Last month, at least 35 people were killed in triple suicide car bombings in eastern Libya. The attacks were carried out in apparent retaliation for Egyptian airstrikes following the mass beheadings of 21 Christians — all but one of them Egyptian — by Islamic State militants in Libya. | Last month, at least 35 people were killed in triple suicide car bombings in eastern Libya. The attacks were carried out in apparent retaliation for Egyptian airstrikes following the mass beheadings of 21 Christians — all but one of them Egyptian — by Islamic State militants in Libya. |
| Wednesday’s assault was the worst bloodshed targeting foreigners in Tunisia since an al-Qaeda suicide bombing in 2002 killed 21 people at a historic synagogue on the tourist island of Djerba. The death toll included 14 Germans, five Tunisians and two French citizens. | Wednesday’s assault was the worst bloodshed targeting foreigners in Tunisia since an al-Qaeda suicide bombing in 2002 killed 21 people at a historic synagogue on the tourist island of Djerba. The death toll included 14 Germans, five Tunisians and two French citizens. |
| In September 2012, attackers damaged the U.S. Embassy in Tunis and an neighboring American school. Four of the assailants were killed. | In September 2012, attackers damaged the U.S. Embassy in Tunis and an neighboring American school. Four of the assailants were killed. |
| Murphy reported from Washington. | Murphy reported from Washington. |
| Read more: | Read more: |
| How Egypt’s political unrest spills over to Tunisia | How Egypt’s political unrest spills over to Tunisia |
| Tunisia’s economic quagmire | Tunisia’s economic quagmire |