Gunmen with military uniforms stormed Tunisia's museum Bardo today, killing 22 tourists in one of the worst militant attacks. In the time of the attack two cruise ships were docked in this port, MSC Splendida and Costa Fascinosa. Italian media reports that Cruise ship tourists visiting Bardo museum with organized bus tours were attacked by Gunmen who opened fire on the busses injuring several and killing four.
According to local media, three terrorists wearing military uniforms opened fired at a bus parked in front of the Bardo Museum, not far from the headquarters of the Assembly of Tunisia. Seven of the eight victims were tourists. According to official sources of the Tunisian government, the police surrounded the building, where the terrorists holed up would otherwise have taken two and other tourists hostage. Media reported that the attack was claimed by the Islamic State. The anti-terrorism special forces into action to free the hostages. A group of tourists who had been abducted were freed by a raid by special forces. One of the alleged perpetrators of the attack has been arrested while the other two are surrounded by buildings belonging to Parliament.
Italian news media NanoPress took this statement by one cruise passenger "They fired on the bus" - "We were at the bus stop outside the museum, we heard shots, the window next to me has been shattered, I threw myself on the ground." The story of the moments of terror is Anna Pegorini, medical savonese vacationing aboard the Costa Fascinosa and down to earth to visit the museum of the Bard. "A person behind me was shot in the head. Then I saw a person already 'dead on the steps, on the output side. I threw myself to the ground, still motionless, until 'then I heard that the bus was moving, climbed the military and they told us to get off quickly, at all, and then we were stopped for a few hours in what could be a police station. From there we were put on a bus and escorted to the ship.
Costa Fascinosa captain, said that the departure from Tunis, initially scheduled for 6 p.m. will be postponed to await the return of a passenger injured in the attack. Costa Cruises said it is carefully monitoring the situation in Tunis after gunmen attacked the Bardo National Museum.
In a separate statement, MSC Cruises said that its vessel MSC Splendida was currently in La Goulette port and some of its guests had also visited the Bardo museum.
"All the shore excursions organised by Costa during today's stop in Tunis have been immediately recalled on board," said Costa in a statement. MSC Cruises has also suspended all its excursions in Tunisia.
Other media sources quoted the Italian foreign ministry as saying that at least two Italians were injured in the attack and about 100 rescued.
"The company is in close contact with the Italian ministry of foreign affairs, local security authorities, the captain of Costa Fascinosa, and our local port agent to assess the situation and its evolution and [collect] additional information," said Costa's statement.
