Update: MSC confirms nine guests victims
Gunmen killed at least 19 people at a museum in Tunisia's capital yesterday.
Several gunmen stormed a popular museum in Tunis, killing tourists, Tunisian civilians and 2 police officers. As many as two dozen were injured.
Two cruise ships were in port and thousands of passengers were sent into the city on excursions. According to CNN, at the time of the attack some of the cruise passengers were at the museum.
The Daily Mail reported a Tunisian tourist guide 'stared death in the face' as terrorists had opened fire on his clients in the attack which saw tourists shot as they exited cruise ship buses outside the museum.
The terrorists targeted the buses when they arrived at the Bardo museum. Dressed in police uniforms, the terrorists opened fire on the people before they could reach the entrance of the museum.
At the time of the attack Costa Cruises’ cruise ship, the Fascinosa, carrying 3,161 passengers, was docked in Tunis. MSC Cruises’ Splendida ship was also in Tunis at the time.
The Bardo National Museum is visited regularly by plenty of tourists, many disembarking from Mediterranean voyages.
The group is believed to be affiliated with an Islamic terrorist organization like ISIS as Tunisia is its major recruiting ground.
The siege was the most violent tourists’ attack in over a decade.
On its website Costa stated that the Costa Fascinosa had left the port of Tunis at 1:55 p.m. The captain reported 13 passengers had not returned to ship upon departure.
Current position of MSC SPLENDIDA
Current position of COSTA FASCINOSA
Gallery of the Tunisia terrorist attack
Source: CruiseMapper