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Minute's silence to be held for Britain's Tunisia attack victims Minute's silence to be held for Britain's Tunisia attack victims
(about 2 hours later)
Britain will remember the victims of the Tunisia terror attack with a minute’s silence at midday. Britain will hold an official minute’s silence at midday to mourn the British tourists killed in a gun massacre on a Tunisian beach last week.
The silence will be observed at noon – a week after the killings – and flags will be flown at half-mast over Whitehall departments and Buckingham Palace. Flags are being flown at half-mast over Whitehall and Buckingham Palace as a mark of respect for those killed in the deadliest terror attack for Britons since the bombings in London on 7 July 2005.
The bodies of 17 of the 30 British victims have been returned to the UK and more are expected to be repatriated on Friday and Saturday. In Sousse, foreign dignitaries are expected to gather at the scene of the attack for a ceremony, details of which have not yet been released.
They were among the 38 holidaymakers who were killed by Seifeddine Rezgui when he opened fire in the resort of Sousse. Seven days ago after Seiffedine Rezgui walked on to the beach at the El Kantaoui resort and opened fire, killing 38 people – including 30 UK nationals.
The rest of the dead were three Irish nationals, two Germans, one Belgian, one Portuguese and one Russian. Wounded Britons – including four with severe injuries – have already been brought back to the UK. They are being treated at hospitals in Birmingham, Oxford, Plymouth and London.
The bodies of 17 victims have been repatriated since Wednesday, all flown to RAF Brize Norton. Mourning relatives watched as their coffins were unloaded by pallbearers from the RAF Regiment’s Queen’s Colour Squadron.
More were expected to return on Friday and Saturday. Among the other victims were were three Irish nationals, two Germans, one Belgian, one Portuguese and one Russian.
The first inquests into the deaths of the Britons will open at West London coroner’s court on Friday. The coroner, Chinyere Inyama, is expected to immediately adjourn the hearings in which a cause of death will be confirmed and the bodies will be released to families.The first inquests into the deaths of the Britons will open at West London coroner’s court on Friday. The coroner, Chinyere Inyama, is expected to immediately adjourn the hearings in which a cause of death will be confirmed and the bodies will be released to families.
Recent days have seen military personnel receive some of the victims on British soil in a ceremony at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire. Tunisian authorities have detained eight people on suspicion of aiding Rezgui, and are searching for two others believed to have trained with him in Libya. Four others have been questioned in connection with the massacre.
Members of the RAF Regiment’s Queen’s Colour Squadron unloaded the coffins from the RAF C-17 transport plane used to bring them back from Tunisia into the waiting hearses. They were watched by relatives of the dead who were present at the air base. Authorities believe Rezgui trained at the same jihadi camp as two gunmen who killed 21 tourists at the Bardo museum in Tunis in March. They fear a third sleeper cell, formed at the same time, could still be lying in wait.
Holiday operators Thomson and First Choice have confirmed that all 30 British victims were their customers. Britain’s defence secretary, Michael Fallon, vowed those responsible would be tracked down. “We are working with the Tunisian authorities to find out exactly how this outrage last Friday was carried out, how it was planned, who was involved in it,” he told the House of Commons on Thursday.
It is believed Rezgui – who was shot dead by police – had accomplices who helped him carry out the atrocity and the Tunisian government said it had made a number of arrests. Eight people – seven men and one woman – were in custody suspected of having direct links to the massacre, while four others had been released, said government minister Kamel Jendoubi. “Let the house be in absolutely no doubt: the people who perpetrated the murders of our constituents are going to be tracked down, whether they are in Libya, in Syria or anywhere else,” he said.
He said the investigation “has allowed us to discover the network behind the operation in Sousse”. Fallon has also confirmed to MPs that the government favours expanding the campaign of air attacks against Isis, which has claimed Rezgui was acting on its behalf. Labour has hinted it would support a plan to begin strikes in Syria.
According to Tunisian officials the gunman trained at a Libyan jihadist camp at the same time as the two gunmen who attacked the Bardo museum in Tunis in March, killing 22 people. Russell Brand, the comedian and activist, denounced Friday’s minute’s silence as “bullshit” as he pinned the blame for the attacks on British foreign policy.
Britain’s defence secretary, Michael Fallon, vowed those responsible would be “tracked down”. “There’s no point in having a minute’s silence as long as during that time they continue to sell arms, they continue to bomb foreign countries. They have no interest in a solution,” said Brand in the latest episode of his YouTube current affairs show, the Trews. “Their only interest is to perpetuate the problem and to continue to profit from it.”
The Metropolitan police said 76 family liaison officers across the country were supporting the families of those killed and the survivors while hundreds of counter terrorism officers were helping the international response to the attack. The Metropolitan police said 76 family liaison officers across the country were supporting the survivors and the families of those killed. Hundreds of counter-terrorism officers were helping the international response to the attack.
Specialist advisers have also been sent to Tunisia by the National Policing Counter Terrorism Headquarters to assist the Foreign Office and Tunisian authorities in reviewing security at other tourist resorts and attractions. Specialist advisers have also been sent to help the Foreign Office and Tunisian authorities double-check security at other tourist resorts and attractions.
Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley, the national policing lead for counter terrorism, said: “With the threat level to the UK from international terrorism remaining at severe, the UK police service is continually reviewing security to help ensure people and places are as safe as possible.”
He appealed for anyone who was in Sousse and witnessed the attack to contact the confidential anti-terrorist hotline on 0800 789 321.
He also said that dedicated email addresses for people to send any images and information “that may assist” in the investigation had been set up. People could go online – to www.ukpoliceimageappeal.com or www.ukpoliceimageappeal.co.uk – or email tunisiaenquiry@met.police.uk.