Update: Police are now estimating 10 more dead, bring the total to 37 killed.
Two gunmen firing Russian made Kalashnikov machine guns have killed at least 27 people at a Tunisian tourist resort. Among the dead are foreigners, including at least one Briton, as well as Tunisians.
Tunisian Interior Ministry spokesperson Mohammed Ali Aroui said security forces killed one of the gunmen and a manhunt is underway for the second attacker.
The attack occurred at the Imperial Marhaba hotel.
“A terrorist infiltrated the buildings from the back before opening fire on the residents of the hotel, including foreigners and Tunisians,” he said.
One of Tunisia’s top security officials Rafik Chelli said the killed gunman was not known to authorities.
He said the gunmen came from the beach hiding his weapon under an umbrella before gunning down tourists. From there they went into the hotel, gaining access through the pool area, shooting people as they went.
There has yet to be an announcement of the an exact number killed or the nationalities of the victims.
Chelli said although authorities had a plan to protect hotels during Ramadan, the attack was an isolated case difficult to counter and that there is never no risk of attack.
The country has been in a state of high alert since Islamist militants attacked the Bardo museum in Tunis in March, killing a group of foreign tourists.
Gary Pine, a British tourist who had been on the beach near the attacked hotel, said he heard what “we thought was firecrackers going off” followed by an explosion. His son he said had seen someone shot on the beach.
He said hotel guests were firstly told to lock themselves in their rooms, and later to gather in the hotel’s lobby.
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