Tunisia Arrests Suspects Associated with Beach Hotel Attacker
19 October 2018 14:34 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Sousse - Tunisian authorities have arrested a group of suspects associated with the gunman who killed 39 people, mainly British tourists, in a beach hotel attack claimed by Islamic State, the interior minister said on Monday.
British interior minister Theresa May, and her French and German counterparts, visited the site of the attack near the Imperial Marhaba hotel in the resort town of Sousse, laying flowers on the beach. They promised Tunisia help in security, intelligence, police training and to help keep tourism alive.
Tourism Police, armed with handguns and rifles, patrolled the waterfront where some European tourists remained amid the parasols and bouquets scattered in the sand.
Interior Minister Najem Gharsalli gave no details of those arrested and said officials were checking whether gunman Saif Rezgui had been trained in neighbouring Libya in jihadist camps.
Forensic evidence shows Rezgui, a student who gave few clues to family and friends that he had been radicalized, was probably the only gunman, though others may have been involved in planning and organising the attack.
"We will find all those involved, whether it was just logistical support or not," the Tunisian minister said, flanked by ministers from Britain, France and Germany.
REUTERS