Photo of tourists held in side the museum by gunmen (Photo: Tunivision TV channel's Facebook page)
At least eight people have been killed and others taken hostage in an attack at the Bardo museum in the Tunisian capital, Tunis.
Interior ministry spokesman Mohamed Ali El-Erwi confirmed seven tourists and one Tunisian citizen had been killed at the museum, which is next to the parliament, Al-Mutawassit channel reported.
A source told Roaya news that the hostages are French, Italian, Spanish and British, and that the terrorists had grenades.
"I condemn this terrorist attack in the strongest terms. There has been a hostage-taking, without doubt tourists have been affected, killed," French Prime Minister Manuel Valls said in Brussels after talks with European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker.
An emergency cabinet meeting is underway, headed by Tunisian Prime Minister Habib Essid, Al-Mutawassit channel reported.
A press conference is expectedly shortly at the Troika Palace.
Shots were fired near the Tunisian parliament and the adjacent Bardo museum on Wednesday afternoon, prompting police to rush reinforcements to the area, an AFP photographer reported.
The gunfire prompted parliamentary committees to suspend their meetings as lawmakers were ordered to assemble in the main chamber, Islamist MP Monia Brahim told AFP.
The BBC said MPs were discussing counter-terrorism legislation when the parliament was attacked and they were later evacuated.
The Tunisian presidency's official Facebook page said President Beji Caid Essebsi will address the nation later today.
Photo of tourists held in side the museum by gunmen (Photo: Tunivision TV channel's Facebook page)
Photo of tourists held in side the museum by gunmen (Photo: Tunivision TV channel's Facebook page)
Photo of tourists held in side the museum by gunmen (Photo: Tunivision TV channel's Facebook page)
Photo of tourists held in side the museum by gunmen (Photo: Tunivision TV channel's Facebook page)
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