Britons urged to flee Tunisia

Prime Minister Habib Essid told a late-night session of parliament that the guidance would “have repercussions” for Britain although he did say what they might be.

As soon as the British foreign Office asked tour operators to halt all holidays to Tunisia, major tour agencies cancelled trips to The North African country. But one of the Arab region’s most secular countries, Tunisia has also struggled with the rise of ultra-conversative Islamist groups, some of them violent.

Thomas Cook said it is putting on an extra flight on Friday to bring its customers back to the UK.

A well placed Tunisian security source in the capital Tunis said: “Security forces will be on high alert ahead of the 27th day”.

The spokesman added: “The safety and well-being of our customers is our primary concern”.

“If you are in Tunisia and do not have essential reasons for being there, you are advised to leave”, the Danish foreign ministry said on its website. In March, 22 people died in an attack at the National Bardo Museum outside Tunis.

“On balance, we do not believe the mitigation measures in place provide adequate protection for British tourists in Tunisia at the present time and we have therefore changed our travel advice accordingly”.

Of the victims, 30 hailed from the United Kingdom, making it the largest loss of British lives in such an attack since London’s 7/7 bombings.

Tunisia deployed about 3,000 armed policeman in hotels and on beaches to protect tourists after the worst attack in the country’s modern history.

British tourists in Tunisia are being advised to contact their tour operator or airline to plan their return.

Thomas Cook and Monarch have cancelled all further bookings to Tunisia for the rest of the summer season.

Thomson and First Choice say they do not have any customers now in Tunisia but are repatriating British staff working in the country.

A young English woman named Laura, speaking from Enfidha airport that serves Port El Kantaoui, said “we got a message this morning to tell us to leave because of the terrorist attack that may happen…” “They have all left for Libya, some of them might want to join Islamic State, but not him“.

She said: “We felt we had no choice and we had to come back because we were hearing that the first last flight was on Sunday. They have been wonderful”.

Some Tunisian officials were critical of the U.K.’s warning.

Thirty of the 38 people killed in Sousse were British tourists.

The diplomatic spat comes as one of the first funerals for Britons killed in the Sousse beach massacre is due to be held on Friday afternoon.

Ireland on Friday also warned its citizens to steer clear of Tunisia as it updated its travel advice. Two Germans were killed in the Sousse attack.

Instead, the Foreign Ministry urged travellers from Luxembourg for increased vigilance and to comply with instructions issued by Tunisian authorities.

It has been two weeks since she returned home from her holiday, just hours after the attack.

The new advice is a further blow for the Tunisian tourist industry.

At the Riu Palace Hammamet Marhaba in coastal Hammamet, southeast of Tunis, receptionist Hamdi Mohsen said that since the attack in Sousse, business is down like he’s never seen before in his 34 years working at the resort.