Extremist group Islamic State (ISIS) claimed responsibility on Thursday for an attack on a major museum in Tunisia’s capital that killed 23 people, including two gunmen, and injured scores of others, including many foreign tourists. Click here if you missed it! The attack was described as “the first drop of rain” and they said more would follow.
An audio recording and written statement was distributed by the group on social media accounts associated with Islamic State, which said that two of its fighters, armed with machine guns and grenades, carried out the attack on a “den of infidelity and vice.”
“The blessed operation led to the killing of scores of infidels and apostates, and the failing security forces did not dare to even approach until after the two heroes ran out of ammunition,” the statement said.
Prime Minister Habib Essid also confirmed that the Tunisian security services were working with other countries to determine the affiliations of the gunmen, identified as Yassine Abidi and Hatem Khashnaoui. Essid said Abidi had been on authorities’ radar before the attack, but not for “anything special,” in an interview with the French radio network RTL.
Four people believed to be directly involved in Wednesday’s attack are currently in custody according to the president’s office. The five others are believed to have provided support to the assailants from outside the capital, Tunis.