Tunisia blast: Islamic State says it carried out bus attack

A man walks past the bus that exploded Tuesday in Tunis, Wednesday Nov.25, 2015.

President Beji Caid Essebsi and other members of the National Security Council discussed crisis measures following the blast on Tuesday in the heart of Tunis. The Jewish community in the resort island of Djerba traces its roots…

The statement released online by ISIS identified Abu Abdullah al-Tunisi as the individual responsible for carrying out the attack, which left at least 13 people dead, the Associated Press reported.

Sudan’s foreign ministry said in a statement Wednesday that “Sudan condemns in the strongest terms the terrorist blast that targeted a bus carrying Tunisian presidential guards”, describing it as “contrary to all divine laws, human values and worldwide norms and laws”.

The so-called “Islamic State” group has claimed responsibility for a bus attack in Tunisia which killed at least 13 people.

No reason was given, but the interior ministry said earlier the explosive used in the attack that killed 12 presidential guards was the same used to make suicide belts illegally brought from Libya and seized past year.

Tunisia’sInterior Ministry earlier Wednesday confirmed that the blast had been caused by a suicide bomber who was wearing 22 pounds of explosives.

Mr Louguini could not confirm or deny Tunisian reports that the body could be that of a suicide bomber who jumped on to the bus just before the bomb exploded.

While there was no immediate claim of responsibility, Tunisia has been plagued by Islamist violence since the 2011 overthrow of long-time dictator Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, and dozens of members of the security forces have also been killed.

The explosion was the third major attack this year by suspected jihadist militants to hit Tunisia – widely seen as the sole democratic success story of the 2010-11 Arab revolution.

“This is an evolution in the behaviour of the terrorists”, said Habib Essid, Tunisian prime minister, after an emergency security meeting.

Tunisia’s influential Islamist party also denounced the explosion, and urged Tunisians to unite behind the security forces as they hunt for the perpetrators.

After the deadly attacks claimed by ISIS in Paris and Beirut, the Tunisian authorities increased the security level and deployed soldiers and police officers to patrol the city.

Thousands of Tunisians have travelled to Libya, Iraq and Syria to fight alongside Islamic extremists, according to the authorities.

Speaking on national television, Essebsi said: “Tunisia is at war against terrorism”.