2015 Sousse attacks

Mass shooting at a Tunisian tourist resort on 26 June 2015May 2026 2015 Sousse attack the 26 June 2015 Islamist attacks and the Islamic State insurgency in Tunisia Tunisia 200 35.912089 10.580028 Sousse center Riu Imperial Marhaba and Soviva, Port El Kantaoui, Sousse, Tunisiahttps://www.reuters.com/article/us-tunisia-security-idUSKBN0P61F020150626 Gunman kills 39 at Tunisian beachside hotel, Islamic State claims attack Reuters 26 June 2015 Amara Tarek 30 September 2026 European tourists staying at a hotel 35 54 43.52 N 10 34 48.1 E inline,title 26 June 2015 c. 11:45 a.m.-12:15 p.m.https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/feb/28/tunisia-attack-how-a-man-with-a-parasol-could-38-people-on-the-beach Tunisia attack: How a man with a parasol could murder 38 people on the beach The Guardian 28 February 2017 30 September 2026 Jamie Grierson GMT+1 39 (including the perpetrator)Tunisia beach attack: British death toll 'will top 30' BBC News 28 June 2015 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-33306884 29 June 2015 39 Seifeddine Rezgui Yacoubi Islamic State Islamic Statehttps://www.start.umd.edu/gtd/search/IncidentSummary.aspx?gtdid=201506260004 Global Terrorism Database Incident Summary for GTD ID: 201506260004 2015 30 September 2026 https://web.archive.org/web/20240731215345/https://www.start.umd.edu/gtd/search/IncidentSummary.aspx?gtdid=201506260004 31 July 2024 AK-47 assault rifle, grenades On 26 June 2015, a mass shooting occurred at the tourist resort at Port El Kantaoui, about 10 kilometres north of the city of Sousse, Tunisia.http://www.france24.com/en/20150626-tunisia-deadly-shooting-beach-resort-gunmen Africa – Scores killed in terror attack on Tunisian beach resort France 24 26 June 2015 30 September 2026 38 people, 30 of whom were British, were killed when a gunman, Seifeddine Rezgui, attacked a hotel.Death toll from attack at Tunisia hotel rises to 39 http://www.wbtv.com/story/29415576/lone-gunman-believed-responsible-for-28-killed-at-tunisia-hotel wbtv.com 29 June 2015 Matt Quillen 26 June 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20171012034019/http://www.wbtv.com/story/29415576/lone-gunman-believed-responsible-for-28-killed-at-tunisia-hotel 12 October 2017 It was the deadliest non-state attack in the history of modern Tunisia, with more fatalities than the 22 killed in the Bardo National Museum attack three months before.Payne Ed Black Phil Smith-Spark Laura Tunisia attack: Tourists flee the country after gunman kills 38 https://edition.cnn.com/2015/06/27/africa/tunisia-terror-attack/ 27 June 2015 CNN 28 June 2015 The attack received widespread condemnation around the world.https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jun/26/tunisia-tourist-hotel-reportedly-attacked Deadly attack on Tunisia tourist hotel in Sousse resort Elgot Jessica 26 June 2015 The Guardian 28 February 2017 en-GB 0261-3077 The Tunisian government later "acknowledged fault" for slow police response to the attack. Background Bardo National Museum attack In October 2013, a suicide bomber blew himself up in a botched attack on a Sousse beach while security forces foiled another planned attack nearby.timesofisrael.com: "Tunisia to shut illegal mosques as IS claims deadly hotel attack", 27 June 2015 The post-Tunisian revolution led to the 2014 parliamentary election in which the principal secularist party gained a plurality but was unable to govern alone, and ultimately formed a national unity government. Secularist Beji Caid Essebsi was elected president in the 2014 Tunisian presidential election.https://www.reuters.com/article/us-tunisia-election-idUSKBN0JZ04F20141222 Markey Patrick Amara Tarek Veteran Essebsi wins Tunisia's first free presidential vote Reuters 22 December 2014 27 June 2015 After the overthrow of Tunisian president Ben Ali, terrorism increased, leading to 60 victims among security and military troops. Other attacks targeted civilians and tourists. Despite this, Tunisia was considered to be a secure country.chronicle.fanack.com In Tunisia, is it an Era of Democracy or Terrorism? https://chronicle.fanack.com/specials/extremism/in-tunisia-democracy-or-terrorism/ fanack.com 27 July 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150923031719/https://chronicle.fanack.com/specials/extremism/in-tunisia-democracy-or-terrorism/ 23 September 2015 dead On 18 March 2015, the Bardo National Museum in Tunis was attacked by three terrorists, in which 21 foreigners visiting the museum and a local police officer were killed. Two of the gunmen, Tunisian citizens Yassine Labidi and Saber Khachnaoui, were killed by police, while the third attacker escaped.https://news.yahoo.com/third-attacker-run-deadly-museum-attack-tunisian-president-105754039.html Third Tunisia museum attacker 'on the run', says president Yahoo! News 22 March 2015 27 June 2015 Police treated the event as a terrorist attack.http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2015/3/18/tourists-killed-in-tunisia-museum-assault.html 21 dead in Tunisia attack, Including Gunmen Al Jazeera 19 March 2015Marszal Andrew Gunmen 'take hostages' in attack on Tunisia parliament. https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/tunisia/11479898/Gunmen-take-hostages-in-attack-on-Tunisia-parliament.html https://web.archive.org/web/20150318130121/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/tunisia/11479898/Gunmen-take-hostages-in-attack-on-Tunisia-parliament.html dead 18 March 2015 18 March 2015 The Telegraph 18 March 2015 The Islamic State (IS) claimed responsibility for the attack, and threatened to commit further attacks.http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/03/19/isis-tunisia-museum-attack_n_6902244.html ISIS Claims Responsibility For Tunisia Museum Attack HuffPost 19 March 2015 However, the Tunisian government blamed a local splinter group of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, called the Okba Ibn Nafaa Brigade, for the attack. A police raid killed nine members on 28 March.https://www.reuters.com/article/us-tunisia-security-idUSKBN0ME18E20150318 Gunmen storm Tunisian museum, kill 17 foreign tourists Reuters 18 March 2015 18 March 2015 After the Bardo attack, the government announced new security measures and declared the country safe again. Attack On 26 June 2015 the Spanish-owned five-star Riu Imperial Marhaba Hotel at Port El Kantaoui, a tourist complex situated on the coast about ten kilometres north of Sousse, Tunisia, was hosting 565 guests, mainly from Western Europe, 77% of its capacity.https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2015/jun/26/tunisia-beach-resort-attack-multiple-deaths-live-updates Siddique Haroon Jalabi Raya Terror attacks: deadly gun assault on Tunisia tourist beach – live updates The Guardian 26 June 2015 26 June 2015 Tourists from the hotel as well as from the Soviva Hotel located nearby were relaxing on the beach.https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jun/26/tunisia-tourist-hotel-reportedly-attacked Elgot Jessica Deadly attack on Tunisia tourist hotel in Sousse resort The Guardian 26 June 2015 26 June 2015 At around noon, Seifeddine Rezgui Yacoubi, disguised as a tourist,https://www.reuters.com/article/us-tunisia-security-idUSKBN0P61F020150626 Amara Tarek Gun attack kills at least 28, including Europeans, at Tunisian beachside hotel Reuters 26 June 2015 26 June 2015 socialised with others, and then took out a Kalashnikov assault rifle concealed in a beach umbrella and fired at the tourists on the beach. He then entered the hotel, shooting at people he came across, while also reportedly throwing grenades. He was killed by security forces during an exchange of fire.Deadly attack on Tunisia tourist hotel in resort of Sousse https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jun/26/tunisia-tourist-hotel-reportedly-attacked 26 June 2015 The GuardianTunisia attack on Sousse hotels 'kills 37' https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-33287978 26 June 2015 BBC News His autopsy later revealed that he had medications and an illegal drug in his system.2019-01-29 17 on trial in deadly Tunisian beach attack on UK tourists https://apnews.com/general-news-5dad44e2645a418a9fe2bb6a01045999 2024-09-30 AP News en All bullets were found to have been fired from the one weapon; the attacker had four magazines of ammunition.Kalashnikov magazines typically hold 30 rounds, though capacities from 5 to 100 rounds are availablehttps://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/tunisia-hotel-shooting-video-dramatic-footage-emerges-of-gunman-seifeddine-rezgui-running-on-sousse-beach-10351370.html https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220501/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/tunisia-hotel-shooting-video-dramatic-footage-emerges-of-gunman-seifeddine-rezgui-running-on-sousse-beach-10351370.html 1 May 2022 subscription live Tunisia hotel shooting video: Dramatic footage appears to show gunman Seifeddine Rezgui running on Sousse beach The Independent 29 June 2015 29 June 2015 The attacker had spoken to his father on a mobile telephone which he then threw into the sea during the attack; it was retrieved later. An Interior Ministry spokesman said that they were sure that others assisted but did not participate directly, providing the Kalashnikov and helping get Rezgui to the scene. Victims NationalityDeathsWoundedTotalRef. UK United Kingdom 30 26 56Channel NewsAsia 1 July 2015 http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/tunisia-identifies-all-38/1954066.html Tunisia identifies all 38 victims of beach massacre, 30 British dead https://web.archive.org/web/20150705033605/http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/tunisia-identifies-all-38/1954066.html 5 July 2015 IRL Republic of Ireland 3 0 3 http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/irish-death-toll-rises-to-three-as-athlone-couple-confirmed-among-38-dead-31335138.html Irish death toll rises to three as Athlone couple confirmed among 38 dead World News 28 June 2015http://article.wn.com/view/2015/06/26/Irish_woman_shot_dead_in_Tunisia_attack_was_wellknown_nurse/ Irish woman shot dead in Tunisia attack was well-known nurse World News 27 June 2015 GER Germany 2 1 3 http://www.spiegel.de/politik/ausland/sousse-tunesien-auswaertiges-amt-bestaetigt-weiteres-deutsches-todesopfer-a-1041206.html 29 June 2015 Der Spiegel 8 Anschlag in Sousse: Auswärtiges Amt bestätigt weiteres deutsches Todesopferhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/tunisia/11701043/Tunisia-attack-shooting-gunman-tourists-victims-live.html https://web.archive.org/web/20150629192044/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/tunisia/11701043/Tunisia-attack-shooting-gunman-tourists-victims-live.html dead 29 June 2015 Tunisia attack: 1000 armed police to protect British tourists as chilling new video shows gunman chased by hotel staff - latest The Telegraph 29 June 2015 BEL Belgium 1 3 4https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/tunisia-hotel-attack-live-updates-5957576 Tunisia hotel attack: Live updates as authorities reveal 'majority' of victims are British Daily Mirror 27 June 2015 RUS Russia 1 1 2 The Latest: Germany Says 1 Citizen Killed in Tunisia Attack POR Portugal 1 0 1 https://www.dn.pt/inicio/portugal/interior.aspx?content_id=4648431 Uma portugu-esa entre as vítimas do atentado na Tunísia – Portugal DN dead https://web.archive.org/web/20150629200401/http://www.dn.pt/inicio/portugal/interior.aspx?content_id=4648431 29 June 2015 http://www.digitaljournal.com/news/world/is-claims-tunisian-beach-resort-massacre-statement/article/436869 Shaken tourists flee Tunisia after seaside massacre 27 June 2015 27 June 2015 TUN Tunisia 0 7 7 UKR Ukraine 0 1 1 Ukrainian woman injured in attack on Tunisia resort, life not in danger – Foreign Ministry Total 38 39 77 http://www.leparisien.fr/faits-divers/attentat-en-tunisie-33-victimes-deja-identifiees-30-06-2015-4907457.php 30 June 2015 Le Parisien Attentat en Tunisie : 33 victimes ont été identifiées fr 38 people were killed, 30 of whom were British. Among the fatalities was Denis Thwaites, a former professional footballer for Birmingham City, and his wife, Elaine.http://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/ex-birmingham-city-player-denis-thwaites-9551698 Authi Jasbir Ex-Birmingham City player Denis Thwaites and his wife confirmed dead in Tunisian terror attacks 29 June 2015 Birmingham Mail 29 June 2015 Victims also included people from three generations of one family: Adrian Evans, Patrick Evans and Joel Richards.Tunisia beach attack: Who were the British victims killed in Sousse? | Sky News 39 people were also wounded.http://mashable.com/2015/06/26/tunisia-tourist-resort-attack/ What an attack on a tourist resort means for Tunisia Jessica Plautz 26 June 2015 Mashable 27 June 2015http://wn.com/gunmen_kill_27_in_attack_on_tunisian_resort,_officials_say Gunmen Kill 27 in Attack on Tunisian Resort, Officials Say World News 27 June 2015http://atwnetwork.com/2015/06/26/tunisia-sousse-attacks-death-toll-rises-to-37 Tunisia Sousse Attacks: Death Toll Rises To 37 ATW News 27 June 2015 Perpetrator and associates The killer, Seifiddine Rezgui Yacoubi, also known as Abu Yahya al-Qayrawani,http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/587095/Terror-attack-tourist-hotel-Tunisia-Sousse Seifeddine Regui alias Abu Yahya al-Qayrawani has been named by Islamic State as the gunman Daily Express 26 June 2015 26 June 2015 (29 August 1992 – 26 June 2015http://www.mosaiquefm.net/fr/index/a/ActuDetail/Element/54042-l-attaque-terroriste-contre-un-hotel-a-sousse-ce-qu-il-faut-savoir-sur-son-auteur fr L'attaque terroriste contre un hôtel à Sousse: Ce qu'il faut savoir sur son auteur Mosaique FM 26 June 2015 27 June 2015 28 June 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150628230828/http://www.mosaiquefm.net/fr/index/a/ActuDetail/Element/54042-l-attaque-terroriste-contre-un-hotel-a-sousse-ce-qu-il-faut-savoir-sur-son-auteur dead) was a 22-year-old electrical engineering student at University of Kairouan from Gaâfour, in northwest Tunisia.Family shocked as Tunis 'break-dance star' becomes mass murderer https://www.timesofisrael.com/tunisia-gunman-was-local-break-dancing-celebrity-fan-of-real-madrid/ 3 July 2015 The Times of Israel 28 June 2015 He did not have the typical traits of an Islamic extremist: he had a girlfriend, drank alcohol and was locally known as a skilled break-dancer. He was also believed to be high on cocaine during his rampage.JEREMY ARMSTRONG DAN WARBURTON Tunisia terror attack: ISIS killer Seifiddine Rezgui high on drugs when he carried out massacre https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/tunisia-terror-attack-isis-killer-5977381 3 July 2015 Daily Mirror 30 June 2015 He is believed to have been radicalized over such issues as the Libyan Civil War and Western inaction against the Assad government during the Syrian Civil War.KIM SENGUPTA Seifeddine Rezgui: radicalised as Gaddafi fell, enraged by Assad, inspired by Isis - the terrorist behind Facebook posts about Real Madrid https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/seifeddine-rezgui-what-motivated-a-shy-student-to-kill-38-holidaymakers-in-tunisia-10356507.html https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220501/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/africa/seifeddine-rezgui-what-motivated-a-shy-student-to-kill-38-holidaymakers-in-tunisia-10356507.html 1 May 2022 subscription 3 July 2015 The Independent 1 July 2015 Rezgui is thought to have been recruited by Ajnad al-Khilafah,telegraph.co.uk: "Tunisia attack: gunman's links to Britain", 30 June 2015 an outgrowth of the Tunisian branch of Ansar al-Sharia, which was founded by Seifallah Ben Hassine, who had lived in the UK in the 1990s and whose mentor during that time was Abu Qatada.telegraph.co.uk: "'Why weren't we told of Sousse suicide bomber?’", 4 July 2015 High Court papers relating to a control order placed on a British-based suspect state that Ben Hassine "aimed to recruit new members and send them to Afghanistan for training". The control order documents add that: "Abu Qatada appears as a watermark running through the whole of this case as being the mastermind." After the overthrow of Tunisia's President Zine el-Abedine Ben Ali, Ben Hassine was released from jail in March 2011 under an amnesty, and later founded Ansar al-Sharia in Tunisia, which resisted proscription until 2013, arguing it was carrying out humanitarian work.September 2025 This was despite Ben Hassine’s personal involvement in an attack on the US Embassy in Tunis on 14 September 2012, three days after Ansar's Libyan counterparts killed US ambassador J. Christopher Stevens in Benghazi, Libya.SEIFALLAH BEN OMAR BEN MOHAMED BEN HASSINE https://main.un.org/securitycouncil/en/sanctions/1267/aq_sanctions_list/summaries/individual/seifallah-ben-omar-ben-mohamed-ben-hassine United Nations Security Council 9 September 2025 When Ansar al-Sharia was finally outlawed in August 2013, after the murders of two secular leftist MPs, he was listed as a proscribed terrorist by the United States, and fled to Libya.telegraph.co.uk: "Senior Tunisian jihadist and Osama bin Laden associate 'killed by US strike in Libya'", 3 July 2015telegraph.co.uk: "How Britain and the EU allowed jihadists to wage war on their own tourists", 4 July 2015 Ben Hassine was reportedly killed by the USAF near Adjabiya in eastern Libya on 14 June 2015, in a strike designed to kill Mokhtar Belmokhtar.Senior Tunisian jihadist and Osama bin Laden associate ‘killed by US strike in Libya’ https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/tunisia/11715933/Senior-Tunisian-jihadist-and-Osama-bin-Laden-associate-killed-by-US-strike-in-Libya.html The Telegraph 9 September 2025 Qatada wrote in a letter published online in January 2014 that Ben Hassine "is among the best of those I have known in intellect" and "the most knowledgeable of people of my intentions ... for he was the closest of people to me". In January 2017, documents obtained by Panorama identified Chamseddine al-Sandi as the orchestrator behind the attack. He is named in confessions from suspects who were arrested in connection with the shootings. Rezgui was killed at the scene, but the documents obtained by Panorama say that he was recruited and directed by al-Sandi. The confessions say al-Sandi ran a militant cell responsible for both the Sousse shootings and the attack three months earlier at the Bardo National Museum in which 22 people died. Both attacks were claimed by the Islamic State.https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-38557946 Tunisia beach attack: 'Mastermind' named BBC News 9 January 2017 Aftermath Immediately after the attack, the flight JAF5017, on its way to Enfidha-Hammamet International Airport, was redirected to Brussels. German tour operator TUI offered German tourists the opportunity to fly back to Germany and to cancel or adjust their bookings in Tunisia.https://www.reuters.com/article/us-tui-tunisia-idUSKBN0P61YZ20150626 Schuetze Arno Germany's TUI offers to fly Tunisia tourists home Reuters 26 June 2015 5 April 2020 British tour operator Thomson announced that flights to Tunisia would be cancelled until at least 9 July 2015,http://www.thomson.co.uk/editorial/alerts/thomsonfly-travel-alert.html Thomson Fly Travel Alert 27 June 2015 Thomson and First Choice Statement – Customer Policy in relation to holidays to Tunisia - TUITravel Media Centre - Thomson http://press.thomson.co.uk/thomson-first-choice-statement-customer-policy-relation-holidays-tunisia/ 29 June 2015 dead https://web.archive.org/web/20150821070928/http://press.thomson.co.uk/thomson-first-choice-statement-customer-policy-relation-holidays-tunisia/ 21 August 2015 dmy-all with ten flights departing on the evening of the attacks to bring 2,500 customers in the resort back to the United Kingdom.https://www.facebook.com/Thomsonholidays Thomson Holidays Facebook 27 June 2015February 2024 EasyJet and Thomas Cook announced that customers planning to visit Tunisia would be able to change their travel plans free of charge.https://news.yahoo.com/latest-gunmen-kill-least-7-tunisia-beach-attack-120747197.html The Latest: At least 5 Britons killed in Tunisia attack 26 June 2015 Yahoo! News 27 June 2015 Hotels were targeted in attacks to undermine tourism and because they were considered "brothels" by IS.https://www.indiatoday.in/world/story/tunisia-hotel-attack-gunman-imperial-hotel-sousse-resort-259888-2015-06-26 Gunman kills 39 at Tunisian beachside hotel, Islamic State claims attack 27 June 2015 Both tourism and the related industries accounted for up to 14.9% of the Tunisian economy in 2014.May 2021 The United Kingdom's Home Secretary Theresa May and Foreign Office Minister Tobias Ellwood visited the site of the shooting on 29 June 2015. It was also announced that a Royal Air Force aircraft would be sent to repatriate bodies and evacuate the injured back to the UK. RAF Plane To Evacuate Casualties From Tunisia http://news.sky.com/story/1509965/raf-plane-to-evacuate-casualties-from-tunisia 29 June 2015 On 29 June an RAF Boeing C-17 Globemaster III flew from RAF Brize Norton to Tunisia to recover four British victims, with the C17 returning via Birmingham Airport to unload one patient, and returning to Brize Norton with the other three.https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-33322789 Tunisia attack: Injured Britons flown home by RAF BBC News 30 June 2015 3 July 2015 thumb|right|Football scarves and shirts were laid as a tribute outside Bescot Stadium, home of Walsall F.C., the team which three of the British victims supported. On 29 June, the House of Commons chamber observed a minute of silence shortly before the UK Prime Minister, David Cameron, announced that a national minute of silence would be held on 3 July 2015 at 12:00 local time to remember the victims, exactly one week on from the attacks. National Minute of Silence After Tunisia Attack http://news.sky.com/story/1510328/national-minute-of-silence-after-tunisia-attack 29 June 2015 Cameron later led several COBRA meetings.http://www.itv.com/news/update/2015-06-27/pm-to-chair-emergency-cobra-meeting-after-tunisia-attacks/ PM to chair emergency Cobra meeting after Tunisia attacks ITV News The Foreign Office sent a team to the hotel to support British survivors and learn more about the British victims. The Metropolitan Police Deputy Assistant Commissioner announced a heightened police presence and security for Armed Forces Day and Pride London events taking place in London over the weekend.UK on terror red alert for weekend's Armed Forces Day events and Pride London http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/587158/PM-emergency-meeting-ex-extremist-UK-face-terror-attack-within-days 27 June 2015 Express On 28 June 2015, the Queen said she and the Duke of Edinburgh were shocked by the attack and offered their deepest sympathy to the injured.https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-33304310 Tunisia attack: Queen offers condolences to victims' families BBC News 28 June 2015 29 June 2015 Sixteen British counter-terrorism police were deployed to Tunisia in the direct aftermath of the attacks, and almost 400 officers were sent to British airports to identify potential witnesses to the attack who had returned home.Tunisia attack: police on alert amid fears UK toll will hit 30 https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jun/28/tunisia-attack-uk-security-force-tourist-resorts 29 June 2015 The Guardian Newspaper 28 June 2015 Between 1 and 4 July the bodies of all thirty British nationals killed in the attacks were flown from Tunisia to RAF Brize Norton.http://news.sky.com/story/1511579/tunisia-bodies-of-eight-victims-back-in-uk Tunisia: Bodies of Eight Victims Back in UK Sky News 3 July 2015https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/tunisia-attack-raf-returns-bodies-of-nine-more-british-victims-after-terror-attack-on-beach-10361636.html Tunisia attack: RAF returns bodies of nine more British victims after Sousse beach terror attack. Buchanan Rose 2 July 2015 The Independent 2 July 2015 Sky News Newsdesk on Twitter https://twitter.com/SkyNewsBreak/status/616901067641593857 3 July 2015February 2024 Tunisia beach attack: Last five bodies returned to UK BBC News 4 July 2015 https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-33393486 4 July 2015 On 2 July David Cameron and Defence Secretary Michael Fallon began making calls for airstrikes in Syria, believing the Sousse attacks to have been coordinated from there.Consider Syria IS strikes, defence secretary urges MPs https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-33358267 2 July 2015 BBC News 2 July 2015 On 3 July, the UK held a nationwide minute's silence at 12:00 local time to remember the victims of the attacks as government buildings and Buckingham Palace flew the Union Jack at half-mast. Two British tourists, Allen Pembroke and Paul Short, were awarded the Queen's Commendation for Bravery in the 2017 Birthday Honours for aiding victims of the attack while it was still underway.61969 11776 16 June 2017 y An inquest to the attack was initially scheduled to start in November 2016 but was postponed to 2017. On 16 January 2017, the first hearing of the inquest was held in the Royal Courts of Justice in London.https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-35698927 Tunisia attack inquests put back to 2017 BBC News March 2016https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-38630124 Tunisia attack: British lives could have been saved BBC News 16 January 2017 The inquest found that the police response to the Tunisia Beach Attacks was "at best shambolic and at worst cowardly" after officers in the vicinity were found to be hiding or running in the opposite direction to the attacker. A security team close to the attack and armed with assault rifles and wearing protective vests, retreated to wait for reinforcements for a half an hour, during which time the lone gunman killed the 38 victims.https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/01/world/africa/tunisia-resort-massacre-officers.html Tunisian Officers, Branded 'Cowardly' During Massacre, Face Charges Walsh Declan 1 March 2017 The New York Times 2 March 2017 Youssef Nour 0362-4331 By March 2017, at least six police officers were referred to trial for criminal negligence for failing to help the victims, and 27 others were referred on similar charges, according to the Tunisian Justice Ministry. A coroner at the inquest ruled that the victims of the attacks were "unlawfully killed" prompting the relatives of British victims to take legal action against tour operator TUI.https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-39109107 Tunisia beach attack: British families to sue TUI 28 February 2017 BBC News 28 February 2017 en-GB Law firm Irwin Mitchell represented 85 families affected by the attack, who amongst them had lost 22 family members. Of the families represented, 63 Britons were injured, some suffering life changing injuries from gunshot and shrapnel wounds.Tunisia Terror Attack Lawyers And Families Mark Anniversary https://www.irwinmitchell.com/news-and-insights/newsandmedia/2021/June/families-mark-sixth-anniversary-of-tunisia-terror-attack-in-which-30-britons-killed 2022-01-24 Irwin Mitchell en The trial, involving more than 50 witnesses and experts, was heard in private due to the evidence being considered sensitive for security reasons. In a joint statement, a spokesperson for Irwin Mitchell and tour operator TUI announced a settlement had been reached. The settlement was reached “without admission of liability or fault and in recognition of the wholly exceptional circumstances of the case”.A settlement has been agreed in the 2015 Tunisia terrorist attack civil case between tour operator TUI and Irwin Mitchell on behalf of the claimants. https://www.irwinmitchell.com/news-and-insights/newsandmedia/2022/January/settlement-agreed-in-2015-tunisia-terrorist-attack-civil-case 2022-01-24 Irwin Mitchell en Reactions Tunisian president Beji Caid Essebsi called for a global strategy against terrorismhttps://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/tunisia/11701043/Tunisia-attack-deadly-shooting-in-front-of-tourist-beach-hotel-live.html https://web.archive.org/web/20150627051910/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/tunisia/11701043/Tunisia-attack-deadly-shooting-in-front-of-tourist-beach-hotel-live.html dead 27 June 2015 Ensor Josie Henderson Barney Tunisia attack: deadly shooting in front of tourist beach hotel in Sousse – latest The Daily Telegraph 26 June 2015 26 June 2015 and visited Sousse with Prime Minister Habib Essid, who promised to close 80 mosques within the week.yahoo.com: "Tunisia government says to close 80 mosques for inciting violence, after hotel attack", 26 June 2015 The government also planned to crack down on financing for certain associations as a countermeasure against another attack.dw.com: "Tunisia to close 80 mosques following terror attack", 27 June 2015 Essid announced new anti-terrorism measures, including the deployment of reserve troops to reinforce security at "sensitive sites ... and places that could be targets of terrorist attacks." The "exceptional plan to better secure tourist and archaeological sites" will include "deploying armed tourist security officers all along the coast and inside hotels from 1 July," and that: The country is under threat; the government is under threat. Without the cooperation of everyone and a show of unity, we cannot win this war. We have won some battles and lost others, but our objective is to win the war... Some mosques continue to spread their propaganda and their venom to promote terrorism. No mosque that does not conform to the law will be tolerated.ibtimes.com: "Tunisia Hotel Attack: Prime Minister Vows To Close 80 Mosques Spreading 'Venom' In The Country", 27 June 2015 Beji Caid Essebsi also denounced the "cowardly" attacks, promising "painful but necessary" measures to fight extremism in the country. He called for a firm response: "No country is safe from terrorism, and we need a global strategy of all democratic countries." On 4 July, Essebsi removed from his post the provincial Governor of Sousse and at least five senior police officers. Among the policemen dismissed were three from Sousse, one from Gaafour (the home city of Rezgui) and one from Kairouan, where Rezgui was studying.telegraph.co.uk: "Tunisia sacks governor and police over terror attacks", 4 July 2015 On 22 July, Tunisian MPs began a three-day debate on new counter-terrorism legislation. The legislation would allow the courts to impose death sentences to those convicted of terrorism-related offences. The legislation would also make public support of terrorism a jailable offence. If passed, the bill would allow law enforcement and security services to tap phone calls of individuals suspected of terrorism."Tunisia seeking to confront extremist threat with new anti-terrorism bill", 22 July 2015 On 8 July, the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office changed the advised status of Tunisia to "Advise against all but essential travel", resulting, from 9 July, in the planned return home of the estimated 3,000 British nationals in Tunisia at that time. ABTA and travel organisations First Choice, TUI and Thomson have stated that they planned to send no further British tourists to Tunisia until after 31 October 2015.https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-33473433 Tunisia travel alert: Thousands of Britons fly home 10 July 2015 BBC News en-GB 9 October 2016 Memorials thumb|Infinite Wave Memorial, Birmingham, England. On 4 March 2019, a memorial to the British victims, and a victim of the Bardo attack, called Infinite Wave, was unveiled in Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham, by Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex.Harry unveils Tunisia attacks memorial https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-birmingham-47417353 BBC 4 March 2019 4 March 2019Duke of Sussex unveils Sousse and Bardo Memorial https://www.gov.uk/government/news/duke-of-sussex-unveils-sousse-and-bardo-memorial United Kingdom Government 4 March 2019 en Other Islamist attacks Four other Islamist attacks took place on the same day in France, Kuwait, Syria and Somalia. The attacks followed an audio message released three days earlier by IS senior leader Abu Mohammad al-Adnani encouraging militants everywhere to attack during the month of Ramadan. No definitive link between the attacks has yet been established. One attack, at a French factory, resulted in the beheading of one person; another bombing at a Shia mosque in Kuwait City killed at least 27; and the other attack on an African Union base in Somalia undertaken by Al-Shabaab, killed at least 70.https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/27/world/middleeast/terror-attacks-france-tunisia-kuwait.html Terrorist Attacks in France, Tunisia and Kuwait Kill Dozens The New York Times See also Africa List of rampage killers (religious, political, or ethnic crimes) List of Islamist terrorist attacks List of terrorist incidents in 2015 List of terrorist incidents in Tunisia References 30em External links Tunisia's Security Concerns Category:2015 mass shootings in Africa Category:2015 murders in Tunisia Category:Arab Winter in Tunisia Category:21st-century mass murders in Tunisia Category:Attacks on hotels in Africa Category:Attacks on tourists in Africa Category:British terrorism victims Category:Deaths by firearm in Tunisia Category:Islamic State terrorist incidents in Tunisia Category:Islamic terrorist incidents in 2015 Category:June 2015 crimes in Africa Category:Tunisia–United Kingdom relations Category:Massacres in 2015 Category:2015 disasters in Tunisia Category:Terrorist incidents in Africa in 2015 Category:Mass shootings in Tunisia Category:British people murdered abroad Category:Attacks on buildings and structures in Tunisia Category:Attacks on buildings and structures in 2015 Category:Filmed killings