TUNISIA-SECURITY/OFFICER FUNERAL Funeral held for policeman killed during museum attack in Tunis

Record ID: 230312

  • Title: TUNISIA-SECURITY/OFFICER FUNERAL Funeral held for policeman killed during museum attack in Tunis
  • Date: 19th March 2015
  • Summary: TUNIS, TUNISIA (MARCH 19, 2015) (REUTERS) FUNERAL CEREMONY AT POLICE HEADQUARTERS ANTI-TERRORISM OFFICERS VARIOUS OF POLICE OFFICERS FLOWERS OFFICERS' HANDS HOLDING RIFLES VARIOUS OF FAMILY MEMBERS VARIOUS OF COFFIN ARRIVING OFFICIALS STANDING VARIOUS OF COFFIN ON GROUND COVERED WITH TUNISIAN FLAG TUNISIAN INTERIOR MINISTER NAJEM GHARSALLI SPEAKING VARIOUS OF OFFICERS GHARSALLI AND PARLIAMENT SPEAKER MOHAMED ENNACEUR PRAYING PHOTOGRAPH OF KILLED ANTI-TERROR OFFICER, AYMEN MORJANE GHARSALLI EMBRACING MOTHER OF MORJANE (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) TUNISIAN INTERIOR MINISTER, NAJEM GHARSALLI, SAYING: "We will overcome it. We will eradicate terrorism. We are confident. The support of the people is the proof. The parliament speaker represents the elected authority in Tunisia and he can speak on behalf of the Tunisian people. We won't hesitate to eradicate terrorism. You will see and witness what we will do." WHITE FRAME (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) TUNISIAN PARLIAMENT SPEAKER, MOHAMED ENNACEUR, SAYING: "Now there is an anti-terror law, but we need to present and pass a new law as soon as possible. We will take all necessary measures to prevent terror attacks and to give security forces more means to work with. We also aim to guarantee the safety of officers and their families with the new anti-terror law."
  • Embargoed: 3rd April 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Tunisia
  • Country: Tunisia
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVACAGQZY95IDQ225127RFZZUNHQ
  • Story Text: An official funeral ceremony was held on Thursday (March 19) for the police officer killed when militant gunmen attacked the national Bardo museum, killing 20 foreign tourists.
    State officials, police officers and family members were present as the police officer's coffin, draped with the national flag, arrived at the police headquarters in the country's capital.
    Aymen Morjane was killed when two militants opened fire on two tourist buses during a visit to the museum inside Tunisia's heavily guarded parliament compound. Japanese, Italian, Spanish and British visitors were among those killed.
    The assault -- the worst attack involving foreigners in Tunisia since a 2002 suicide bombing in Djerba -- came at a fragile moment for a country just emerging to full democracy after its Arab Spring uprising four years ago.
    "We will overcome it. We will eradicate terrorism. We are confident. The support of the people is the proof. The parliament speaker represents the elected authority in Tunisia and he can speak on behalf of the Tunisian people. We won't hesitate to eradicate terrorism. You will see and witness what we will do," said the country's interior minister Najem Gharsalli, speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the ceremony.
    The Islamic State militant group claimed responsibility for Wednesday's (March 18) attack on the museum in Tunis, according to an audio recording distributed online on Thursday.
    It praised the two attackers whom the recording said were "knights of the Islamic State" who were armed with machine guns and bombs.
    The two militants shot dead by security forces in the Bardo attack had been identified as Tunisians, Hatem al-Khashnawi and Yassin al-Abidi. Two local newspapers reported Abidi had spent time in Iraq and Libya, but officials did not confirm that.
    Tunisia's Prime Minister Habib Essid said Abidi had been under surveillance but "not for anything very special".
    Authorities said they had arrested four people directly linked to the attack and five others with indirect ties.
    Tunisian forces had already cracked down on militants who emerged after the 2011 revolt. But Islamic State fighters are gaining ground in the chaos in neighbouring Libya and Tunisian nationals are prominent in their ranks.
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