A state of emergency has been declared in Tunisia just over a week after 38 tourists, mainly British, died in an attack in the resort city of Sousse.
The state of emergency gives security forces more powers and limits the right of public assembly.
Tunisian authorities had already tightened security, deploying more than 1,400 armed officers at hotels and beaches.
President Beji Caid Essebsi said in a national address that “exceptional measures” were needed.
“In order to face up to this scourge we need to be prepared. We need to have enough troops, proper training and material means – we are in desperate need of material means,” he said, appealing for international counter-terrorism support and co-operation.
The state of emergency will be in place for a renewable period of 30 days.
An official from PM Habib Essid’s office said several officials had been sacked in the wake of the attack, including the governor of Sousse.
“Just as there have been security failures, there have also been political failures,” Dhafer Neji told AFP.
Security forces were criticized for not responding more quickly to the attack on June 26 in Sousse, when a gunman opened fire on tourists on a beach and in a hotel before being shot dead by police.
The gunman has been identified as student Seifeddine Rezgui, who authorities say had trained in Libya.
PM Habib Essid said Seifeddine Rezgui had probably trained with the Ansar al-Sharia group, though Islamic State (ISIS) earlier said it was behind the attack.
Eight people have been arrested on suspicion of collaborating with Seifeddine Rezgui, and the government says it has uncovered the network behind the Sousse attack.
Authorities have also pledged to close some 80 mosques that were operating outside government control and accused of spreading extremism.
The last time Tunisia declared a state of emergency was in 2011, in the uprising which overthrew President Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali. It was lifted in March 2014.
Officials are expected to pass a counter-terrorism bill that has been in parliament since early 2014 in the coming weeks.
Eight people, including a woman, remain in Tunisian police custody on suspicion of being directly linked to the deadly attack on tourists in Sousse, a minister has announced.
Four other people who had been detained have been released, he added.
Thirty-eight tourists were killed when gunman Sefeddine Rezgui opened fire on a beach.
ISIS militant group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
Thirty of the victims were British citizens.
Tunisia’s government fears the attack will destroy its tourism industry, the country’s biggest foreign currency earner.
In March, two gunmen killed 22 people at the famous Bardo museum in Tunisia’s capital, Tunis.
Government minister Kamel Jendoubi said at a media conference that investigations had “allowed us to discover the network behind the operation in Sousse”.
Kamel Jendoubi did not elaborate on the identities of the suspects or their alleged role.
He said ten UK investigators were assisting with the investigation, the AFP news agency reports.
Kamel Jendoubi also said that Tunisia has deployed 1,377 armed security agents at hotels and on beaches to guarantee the safety of people, AFP reports.
Tunisian authorities have identified 23-year-old student Seifeddine Rezgui as the gunman who carried out the attack.
Police have released photos of two suspects, Bin Abdallah and Rafkhe Talari – friends of Seifeddine Rezgui whom they are yet to locate.
Tunisian officials believe both the Sousse and Bardo museum gunmen were trained in Libya, which has been mostly lawless since NATO-led forces overthrew long-serving ruler Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.
ISIS has built a significant presence in Libya, Tunisia’s eastern neighbor, and is thought to control the major towns of Derna and Sirte.
The names of those killed in the Tunisian beach attack on June 26 are being released.
Thirty of the 38 people killed by a gunman on Sousse beach were British. They have now all been formally identified and are in the process of being repatriated to the UK.
Christopher and Sharon Bell from Leeds both died in the attack
Adrian Evans, 44, from Tipton, West Midlands, died along with his father, 78-year-old Charles (known as Patrick) Evans, and nephew Joel Richards, 19, from Wednesbury.
Retired printer John Stocker, 74, was born in Peckham, south-east London, and was a “proud father of us five children and 10 grandchildren”.
His wife, Janet Stocker, 63, was born in Fulham, west London.
John Stollery, 58, a social worker from Nottinghamshire, was on holiday with his wife Cheryl and his son when he was killed.
William Graham, 51, known as Billy, and Lisa Graham, 50, from Scotland.
Carly Lovett was a 24-year-old beauty blogger and photographer from Gainsborough in Lincolnshire.
John Welch, 74, and his partner of eight years Eileen Swannack, 73.
David Thompson, 80, from The Green in Tadley, Hampshire.
Sue Davey, 43, from Tamworth and her partner Scott Chalkley, 42, from Chaddesden.
Bruce Wilkinson, 72, from Goole, East Riding, was a retired worker at Drax power station.
Lisa Burbidge, in her 60s, was from Whickham, Gateshead.
Claire Windass, 54, from Hull, was on holiday with her husband when the attack happened.
Jim McQuire, 66, and Ann McQuire, 63, from Cumbernauld, North Lanarkshire.
Trudy Jones, 51, a care home worker from Blackwood in South Wales.
Stuart Cullen, 52, from Lowestoft.
Stephen Mellor, 59, from Bodmin in Cornwall, was killed as he attempted to shield his wife Cheryl, 55.
Former Birmingham City Football Club player Denis Thwaites, 70, and his wife Elaine, 69, from Blackpool.
Philip Heathcote, 52, who was on holiday in Tunisia with his wife Allison, 48, was killed in the attack.
Tunisian authorities have arrested twelve suspects in connection with the deadly attack in Sousse, an official has said.
Security forces were still hunting for two men suspected of having trained in Libya with gunman Seifeddine Rezgui who killed 38 people, he added.
Most of those killed on a beach in Sousse were British, along with other European holidaymakers.
ISIS militant group has claimed the attack as its own.
Tunisia’s government fears the attack will destroy its tourism industry, the country’s biggest foreign currency earner.
In March, two gunmen killed 22 people at the famous Bardo museum in Tunisia’s capital, Tunis.
“This is a group who were trained in Libya, and who had the same objective. Two attacked the Bardo and one attacked Sousse,” Lazhar Akremi, minister for parliamentary relations, said, Reuters news agency reports.
“Police are hunting for two more,” he is quoted as saying.
Lazhar Akremi did not say when the arrests were made.
Tunisian authorities have identified 23-year-old student Seifeddine Rezgui as the gunman who carried out the attack.
They have released photos of two suspects, Bin Abdallah and Rafkhe Talari – friends of Seifeddine Rezgui that the police have yet to locate.
ISIS has a significant presence in Libya, Tunisia’s eastern neighbor, and is thought to control the major towns of Derna and Sirte.
The names of those killed in the attack are being released as well as those who are injured and missing.
New footage has emerged of the attack at the Tunisian resort of Sousse on June 26, which left 38 people, mostly tourists, dead.
It was filmed by a staff member at one of the hotels where the shootings took place.
The unnamed hotel worker chased Seifeddine Rezgui moments after he slaughtered 38 innocent tourists including 18 Britons.
The man can be seen running after Seifeddine Rezgui as the ISIS militant selects his targets.
At one point he even picks up what appears to be a bottle of olive oil as he attempts to sneak up behind the 23-year-old assassin to disarm him.
The 11-minute video was released as Tunisia made its first arrests in connection with the terror attack.
Tunisia’s Interior Minister Najem Gharsalli said: “We have started by arresting a first group, a significant number of people, from the network that was behind this terrorist criminal.”
Najem Gharsalli added that officials were still verifying whether Seifeddine Rezgui had been trained in Libya in jihadist camps.
A group of people have been arrested in Tunisia over the massacre of 38 people, mainly tourists, by gunman Seifeddine Rezgui at the beach resort of Sousse on June 26, the country’s interior minister has said.
Mohamed Gharsalli said 1,000 troops would now be deployed to protect Tunisia’s beach resorts.
Three European ministers have laid flowers at the scene of the attack in a sign of solidarity.
Islamic State (ISIS) has said it was behind the attack.
“We have started by arresting a first group, a significant number of people, from the network that was behind this terrorist criminal,” said Mohamed Gharsalli, referring to Seifeddine Rezgui.
Tunisian authorities say Seifeddine Rezgui was the only attacker, but he had accomplices who provided him with weapons and logistical support, reports AP news agency.
“We are friends against one enemy,” said Mohamed Gharsalli, addressing his counterparts from the UK, Germany and France.
Seifeddine Rezgui came onto the beach from the sea either by jet ski or speedboat at about midday on June 26. He started shooting on the beach, entered the Hotel Imperial Marhaba and ran out of the front of the hotel before the police shot him dead.
The attack was the deadliest in Tunisia’s recent history. In March, militants killed 22 people, mainly foreigners, at the Bardo museum in the capital Tunis.
Tunisian authorities say army reservists will be deployed to tourist sites and that about 80 mosques accused of inciting violence will be closed within a week.
According to the Tunisian authorities, terrorist Seifeddine Rezgui had help in carrying out the attack at Sousse holiday resort.
They believe the suspected accomplices provided the Kalashnikov assault rifle to Seifeddine Rezgui and helped him get to the scene, interior ministry spokesman Mohamed Ali Aroui told AP.
Mohamed Ali Aoui said Seifeddine Rezgui’s father and three friends he lived with in Kairouan, where he studied, had been detained for questioning.
Holiday companies put on extra flights over the weekend for people wanting to return home. Flights to Tunisia have also been cancelled.
The Tunisian government has brought in increased security measures.
A total of 38 people were killed on June 26 on a beach near Sousse by the gunman with links to Islamic State (ISIS) extremists.
A march has been held in the Tunisian resort town of Sousse to denounce the attack in which at least 38 people – mostly tourists – were killed by a gunman on a nearby beach on June 26.
The crowds gathered late on June 27 at a hotel also targeted by the attacker.
They marched through the town expressing sympathy with relatives of the victims, 15 of whom were British.
Tunisia’s PM Habib Essid announced a security clampdown after the attack claimed by Islamic State (ISIS).
Habib Essid said army reservists would be deployed to tourist sites. About 80 mosques accused of inciting violence would be closed within a week.
Friday’s attack was the deadliest in Tunisia’s recent history.
In March, militants killed 22 people, mainly foreigners, at the Bardo museum in the capital Tunis.
The demonstrators marched after dark on the streets of Sousse, with many holding candles to mourn the victims of Friday’s attack.
“Sousse will never die!” the crowds chanted.
A separate rally was held in Tunis.
One Belgian and one German have so far been identified among the dead, the Tunisian health ministry said. One citizen of the Irish Republic is also confirmed dead. There were also thought to be Tunisians killed in the attack.
At least 36 people were injured, some seriously.
Many of the tourists in hotels targeted in the attack have left the country or are waiting for specially arranged flights, but correspondents noted a few were back by the hotel pool on Saturday, vowing they would continue their holidays as scheduled.
Tunisia’s economy relies on tourism, and there are fears that the recent attacks will deal a major blow to the industry.
Security officials said the attacker, who posed as a swimmer but was carrying a rifle under a parasol, started shooting on the beach before entering the Hotel Imperial Marhaba, continuing to shoot.
Officials later identified the gunman as 23-year-old student Seifeddine Rezgui. They said they had no inkling of what he had been planning.
Tunisia has recently seen militant Islamists gain strength since the overthrow of long-serving ruler Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali in in 2011.
Tunisia has launched a security clampdown after Sousse attack in which 38 people were killed, PM Habib Essid has announced.
Habib Essid said army reservists would be deployed to archaeological sites and resorts.
About 80 mosques accused of “spreading venom” will close within a week, he said.
Authorities say most of the victims in yesterday’s attack near Sousse were Britons. The gunman was shot dead.
Officials say he was a student not previously known to authorities.
Five Britons were confirmed dead and the Foreign Office warned the death toll could rise.
Tunisians, Germans, Belgians, French and at least one Irish citizen were also among those killed in the attack, which was claimed by Islamic State (ISIS). Thirty-six people are injured, officials say.
It was the second major attack on tourists in Tunisia since March, when militants killed 22 people, mainly foreigners, at Bardo museum in Tunis.
Speaking at a news conference in Tunis, Habib Essid said some mosques outside government control were spreading “their propaganda and their venom to promote terrorism” and would be shut down.
Habib Essid also vowed to act against parties and groups “acting outside the constitution” – such action could range from a warning to closure.
He said army reservists would be deployed at sensitive sites to ensure such attacks could not happen again.
“The country is under threat; the government is under threat,” Habib Essid said.
“Without the co-operation of everyone and a show of unity, we cannot win this war. We have won some battles and lost others, but our objective is to win the war.”
Security officials said the attacker, who had posed as a swimmer but was carrying a rifle under a parasol, started shooting on the beach before entering the Hotel Imperial Marhaba, continuing to shoot.
Local media reported a second suspected attacker had been arrested, but this has not been confirmed.
ISIS had urged followers to step up assaults during the holy Muslim month of Ramadan.
Many of the tourists in hotels affected by the attack left Tunisia overnight, with tour operators arranging special flights to take them home.
Friday’s attack was the deadliest in Tunisia’s recent history. The country has seen militant Islamists gain strength since the overthrow of long-serving ruler Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali in in 2011.
Democratic elections after Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali’s removal saw the moderate Islamist Ennahda party take power before the secularist Nidaa Tounes government won a parliamentary poll in October.
However, neither party has been able effectively to combat Islamist violence – which has been made worse by conflict in neighboring Libya and by Tunisian fighters returning home after joining Islamist campaigns in Iraq and Syria.
At least 37 people, mostly foreign tourists, have been killed and 36 others wounded after a hotel in the Tunisian coastal city of Sousse came under attack by unidentified gunmen.
According to officials, one gunman has been shot dead and another is being pursued.
Tunisians, Britons, Germans and Belgians and at least one Irish citizen are among the dead.
In March militants killed 22 people, mainly foreign tourists, in an attack on a museum in the capital Tunis.
Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi has gone to Sousse’s Sahloul hospital to visit the injured.
Security officials said one attacker, who had posed as a swimmer but was carrying a rifle under a parasol, was shot dead in an exchange of fire with police.
Local media reported that the second attacker had been arrested, but this has not been confirmed. A photo purporting to show the body of the first attacker is circulating on social media.
The Hotel Imperial Marhaba was named as one of the hotels close to the attack.
The Belgian foreign ministry is advising against all travel to Tunisia and the Belgian Jetairfly airline has announced it is cancelling all flights to Tunisia because of the attack.
A spokeswoman for the Thomson and First Choice tour operators said: “We are working closely with our teams in Tunisia and the relevant authorities to determine exactly what has happened and provide assistance to those affected.”
Tunisia has seen militant Islamists gain strength since the overthrow of long-serving ruler Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali in a popular uprising in 2011.
Democratic elections after Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali’s removal saw the moderate Islamist Ennahda party take power before the secularist Nidaa Tounes government won a parliamentary poll in October.
However, neither party has been able effectively to combat Islamist violence made worse by a raging conflict in neighboring Libya and by Tunisian fighters returning home after going to join Islamist campaigns in Iraq and Syria.
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