An explosion occurred this Friday in the American Embassy district in Tunis, the capital of Tunisia. Local police quickly confirmed, after a moment's hesitation, that it was an attack on the embassy. Five police officers were reportedly injured, sources said.
"It was a doomed operation," said a police official, explaining that an assailant tried to enter the embassy, which is protected by police barrages. The police prevented him from doing so, and several were injured, he added, without providing a precise number.
Pedestrians who were nearby were panicked in the Berges-du-Lac district, about ten kilometers from the center of Tunis. The American Embassy requests to avoid the area and to stay informed.
Emergency personnel are responding to an explosion that occurred near the US Embassy in Tunis. Please avoid the area and monitor local media for updates.
- US Embassy Tunis (@usembassytunis) March 6, 2020It is probably a suicide attack: the assailant, who was traveling on a motorbike, threw his machine on the building and was killed. Some sources mention the presence of a second assailant who allegedly fled.
🔴 #Tunisia: an #attack took place near the American embassy in #Tunis, according to the Ministry of the Interior.
Details from our correspondent on site @liliagaida pic.twitter.com/tY9cVJxFTw