At least 22 killed in Tunisia's museum attack: official

TUNIS, March 18 -- At least 22 people, including 20 foreign tourists, were killed when gunmen attacked a museum in Tunis, Tunisia's interior ministry said on Wednesday.

Ministry spokesman Mohamed Ali Aroui said that the 22 victims included 20 South African, French, Polish and Italian tourists.

Previously, Tunisia's Prime Minister Habib Essid said that at least 21 were killed in the attack, including 17 tourists.

"Seventeen tourists, a civilian, two gunmen and a policeman were killed in the attack on Bardo Museum," Essid said in a televised speech following the attack.

Five "terrorists" carried out the attack which also left 22 people injured, he said, adding that two gunmen were shot dead by Tunisian security forces.

The tourists are from Spain, Italy, Germany, France, Japan and Poland.

The spokesman said the gunmen entered the Bardo Museum through the parliament building in Tunis and took a group of tourists as hostages when security forces stormed the building.

A fire exchange took place between the forces and the militants who opened fire at the hostages, killing 17 of them, according to Ali Aroui.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack as far.

Wednesday's attack is the most dangerous in Tunisia since its independence in 1956.

In a televised speech, Tunisian President Beji Caid Essibsi vowed to continue fighting terrorism, saying that his country is"at war with terrorism."

"I will not spare any effort to supply our army with the necessary equipment," he said.

Following the attack, Algeria condemned the attack, branding it as a cowardly terrorist action, according to a foreign ministry statement.

Algeria also reassured that it is determined to continue supporting Tunisia to fight against terrorism.

In Jordan, the country's foreign ministry also slammed the museum attack in Tunis, the state-run Petra news agency reported.

Jordan's Minister of State for Media Affairs Mohammad Momani called for joint efforts to stand up against terrorism, which harms global peace and security.

He added that it is the responsibility of all to counter terrorist and extremist ideologies.