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A bus carrying presidential guards in Tunisia was rocked by an explosion on Tuesday, November 24, killing 12 people and leaving 20 others injured.Officials say there was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attack against the presidential guard.
Walid Louguini, spokesman for the Tunisian interior ministry, told The Associated Press that at least 12 people were killed
Louguini also affirmed that no fewer than 20 others were wounded in the attack.
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A witness, Bassem Trifi, said the explosion hit the driver’s side of the bus. He described the scene as “catastrophic”.
He said: “I saw at least five corpses on the ground,” adding: “This was not an ordinary explosion.”
Few days earlier, authorities had increased the security level in the capital and deployed security forces in large numbers.
Mark Toner, State Department spokesman, speaking in Washington, said the US government was still seeking details on what happened in Tunis.
Toner further noted the US position on the incident, saying: “We strongly condemn the attack.”
Following the explosion, President Beji Caid Essebsi, declared a 30-day state of emergency across the country and imposed an overnight curfew for the capital.
The Tunisian president who wasn’t in the bus at the time, declared the state of emergency and curfew on the Tunis region.
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He convened an emergency meeting of his security council for Wednesday, November 25.
Speaking on national television, Essebsi said: “ Tunisia is at war against terrorism” and urged international cooperation against extremists who have killed hundreds around Europe and the Mideast in recent weeks, from Paris to Beirut to a Russian plane shot down over Egypt.”
“I want to reassure the Tunisian people that we will vanquish terrorism,” he added.
It is pertinent to note that Tunisia is the only Arab Spring country to have solidified a new democracy. However, the nation is facing serious economic and security challenges.
In June, shootings at a luxury beach hotel in Sousse, left 38 people dead, mostly tourists .
Also in March, an attack by Islamist extremists at the famed Bardo museum near the capital killed 22 people.
Both cases of terrorism this year, has left a great dent on Tunisia’s tourism industry.
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