Suicide attackers strike outdoors US embassy in Tunis
A twice suicide attack shook the Tunisian capital over Friday as assailants wounded six persons including law enforcement guarding the united states embassy, authorities said.
An explosion rocked the Berges du Lac district where in fact the embassy is situated around midday, leading to panic among pedestrians and motorists on the area.
Two assailants died in the strike, the first to hit the capital since June 2019, according to officials.
Police said a single attacker tried to enter the diplomatic objective but was prevented by police guarding it.
A good policeman who witnessed the attack said a suicide bomber who was simply travelling on a motorcycle was also killed.
Areas of the body were seen strewn on the ground.
"The operation resulted in the death of several assailants, wounded five law enforcement and lightly injured a civilian," the inside ministry said in a declaration without giving further particulars.
Law enforcement dispatched reinforcements to the region, including forensic authorities as a helicopter flew overhead.
"It's tough to need to go on functioning when your colleagues have already been wounded," a officer at the picture of the strike said.
The US embassy said in a statement posted on Twitter: "Emergency personnel are responding to an explosion that occurred near the U.S. Embassy in Tunis.
"Please avoid the region and monitor local mass media for updates."
Tunisia faced a rise in jihadist activity after its 2011 revolution, with episodes killing dozens of security staff, civilians and foreign visitors.
As the security situation has significantly improved since a series of deadly attacks in 2015, Tunisia has maintained circumstances of urgent for four years and assaults against security forces have persisted.
Before Fri the last attacks were in June 2019, when twin bombings targeted a police station on the subject of the outskirts of Tunis and a police vehicle on the subject of the capital's main throughfare.
A good civilian and a policeman were killed in those attacks, while seven were wounded.
An strike at the capital's Bardo museum in March 2015 killed 21 foreign travelers and a security safeguard.
In June the same year, 38 foreign tourists were killed in a capturing rampage at the coastal vacation resort of Sousse. -- AFP
