Tunisia: Police officer killed in attack against US embassy

A suicide attack hit the US embassy in Tunis on Friday with two attackers and one police officer killed. The explosion marked the most serious assault the Tunisian capital has seen in months.

Police and firefighters gather at the scene of an explosion near the US embassy in Tunis on 6 March 2020. Photo: Fethi Belaid/AFP

Tunisian authorities said six people were injured in the attack, according to AFP news agency, including police officers guarding the US embassy.

It shook the Berges du Lac district around midday, sparking panic amongst pedestrians and motorists in the area. The blast hit the embassy’s main gate with the Reuters news agency describing a scorched, damaged motorbike and police vehicle in the debris.

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One of the attackers attempted to gain access to the US diplomatic mission, but was stopped by security forces. Body parts were seen lying on the ground in the aftermath of the attack, said AFP. Witnesses described hearing a loud explosion.

The last attacks in Tunisia took place in June 2019 when bombings targeted a police station on the outskirts of the capital and a police vehicle on a Tunis throughfare.

Tunisia was rocked by two major attacks in 2015 with more than 20 people killed at Tunis’ Bardo museum in March. In June, a shooting rampage left 38 tourists dead in the resort of Sousse.