At least 22 people were killed by two gunmen at the landmark Bardo Museum in Tunis late Wednesday. The museum, located in Tunisia's capital, is part of the Bardo Palace which is also home to the country's parliament. Reports say at least 50 others were injured in the attack with the gunmen still at large.
The landmark Bardo Museum is situated in the heart of the Tunisian capital and is part of the Bardo Palace that also houses the country's parliament. Initial reports suggested the parliament was under siege which was in session at that time. Ironically, lawmakers were debating an anti-terrorism legislation at the time of the attack. The legislative house has since been evacuated and secured, according to officials.
The attackers reportedly took several tourists of different nationalities as hostages and subsequently killed 22 of them. Those killed in the brutal attack include tourists from France, Italy, Poland, Spain, Japan, Germany, and Tunisia, according to officials of the Ministry of Interior.
There have been conflicting reports about the number of assailants, with some source indicating as many as five gunmen and some others three.
Prime Minister Habib Essid said, "It is a critical moment in our history, and a defining moment for our future. We have not established the identity of the two terrorists... reports are not final, these two terrorists could have been assisted by two or three other operatives."
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