Attack at Bardo Museum in Tunis kills 18
ADV
ADV
Attack at Bardo Museum in Tunis kills 18

Attack at Bardo Museum in Tunis kills 18

di lettura
(AGI) Tunis, March 18 - An attack on the Bardo Museum in Tunishas led to 18 deaths, among them the two Kalashnikov-armedterrorists who stormed the building. Twenty-one people havebeen injured. The massacre was stopped by Tunis police whomanaged to free dozens of hostages. The Farnesina, the ItalianForeign Affairs Ministry, reports that two Italians wereinjured and others taken to a safe place by Tunisian police,whilst the special crisis unit is still operational. Updatesare expected. Among the Italian visitors there could bepassengers from the Costa Fascinosa cruise ship, currently inport there. Costa has confirmed that 'some of its passengerswent on a tour to Tunis, and the company is monitoring thesituation.' Mohammed al Aroui, spokesperson of the TunisianInterior Ministry confirmed that eight people have been killed.A photo of the hostages, posted on Twitter, shows dozens ofpeople, including many children, sitting on the floor.According to security forces, the terrorists, dressed inmilitary uniforms, first attempted an attack on the Parliamentbuilding but, on being ejected, headed for the museum ofmosaics next door. The Peoples' Assembly, where at that momentthe Minister of Justice, Mohammed Salah ben Aissa, wasdelivering a speech on the fight against terrorism, wasevacuated. Tunisian forces "have been deployed to surround themuseum", said al Aroui. The Bardo Museum, located in thewestern suburbs of Tunis, is the oldest in the Arab world, andis famous for a major collection of perfectly-preserved mosaicsdating back to the time of the Roman Empire (2nd-4thcenturies), and unique pieces from the country's Christian era.The building extends over the three floors of the sumptuousresidence of the Husainid dynasty. The Bardo Museum attractsmillions of tourists from all over the world and in 2014, 252thousand Italian tourists visited. . .
ADV