Militants shot and killed at least eight people at a leading museum in Tunisia Wednesday and have taken several more hostage, the county’s interior ministry said.
Interior Ministry spokesman Mohamed Ali Aroui said on Radio Mosaique that only one of the dead in Wednesday's attack was a Tunisian. He did not provide nationalities for the others. Poland's Foreign Ministry announced that three Poles were among the wounded.
Security forces filled the area around the National Bardo Museum in Tunis after the attack. Tunisia's parliament building, near the museum, was being evacuated, according to a tweet by parliament member Sayida Ounissi.
The interior ministry said tourists were taken hostage by militants, but did not disclose how many, Reuters reports. An anti-terror unit is inside the building trying to free the hostages.
However, local media also reported that Tunisian police have rescued the hostages.
Private radio station Radio Mosaique said that three attackers were dressed in military-style clothing.
The National Bardo Museum, built within a 15th-century palace, is the largest museum in Tunisia with collections covering two floors, and it houses one of the world's largest collections of Roman mosaics.
It is unclear who the attackers are. Tunisia has struggled with violence by Islamic extremists in recent years, including some linked to the Islamic State group.
Tunisia recently completed a rocky road to democracy after overthrowing its authoritarian president in 2011. It has been more stable than other countries in the region, but it has struggled with violence by Islamic extremists in recent years, including some linked to the Islamic State group. It also has extremists linked to Al Qaeda's North Africa arm who occasionally target Tunisian security forces.
A disproportionately large number of Tunisian recruits -- some 3,000, according to government estimates -- have joined Islamic State fighters in Syria and Iraq.
The violence that Tunisia has seen in recent years has been largely focused on security forces, not foreigners or tourist sites.
The attack is a blow to Tunisia's efforts to revive its tourism industry.
The museum is near the North African country's parliament some 2 1/2 miles from the city center. A new wing with contemporary architecture was built as part of a 2009 renovation, doubling the surface area. Some 8,000 works are displayed in the museum, according to the website.
The attack comes the day after Tunisian security officials confirmed the death in neighboring Libya of a leading suspect in Tunisian terror attacks and the killings of two opposition figures in Tunisia.
Ahmed Rouissi gained the nickname of the "black box of terrorism." The information on his death was made public by security officials giving testimony in parliament and cited by the official TAP news agency.
Libya, which has devolved into chaos, is a source of major concern for Tunisia.
Also a major worry is the Mount Chaambi area on the border with Algeria where Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb has reportedly been helping a Tunisian group which has killed numerous soldiers.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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