Trained with museum gunman
After a nationwide search for accomplices that participated in the terrorist attack that killed 38 tourists, investigators detail 38 people and discover that Rezgui trained with the shooters in a previous Tunisian attack. Security official:
The young college student who killed 38 tourists in a Tunisian seaside resort was in a jihadi training camp in western Libya at the same time as the two attackers who hit the National Bardo Museum in March.
ISIS fight ‘is the struggle of our generation’
In the aftermath of the Tunisia attack, Cameron has stated that the fight against the Islamic State is “the struggle of our generation”. He elaborated on his perspective by stating that:
I think that frankly, we are a target. They have declared war on us, they are attacking our people at home and overseas whether we like it or not… They are attacking our way of life and what we stand for. There are people in Iraq and Syria who are plotting to carry out terrible acts in Britain and elsewhere and as long as ISIL exists in those two countries we are at threat…It’s a battle of our values and our narrative against their values and their narrative. We have to get that right as well as the military end of things…We have to deal with this appalling radical narrative that’s taking over the minds of young people in our country.
Cameron says the UK must have a “full-spectrum response” to the IS threat – including continuing with air strikes. When asked if British troops were needed on the ground, he added:
Our strategy is to build up local armies. It’s much easier to just invade a country… it’s easier and faster, but that has consequences.
News conference
Prime Minister Essid, responds to the recent terrorist attack by announcing additional security measures and asking the people of Tunisia to work together to get through the crisis. According to the Prime Minister, crucial security upgrades that must be put into place immediately include:
examining the funding of organisations suspected of promoting radicalism, closing about 80 renegade mosques outside government control and declaring certain mountainous zones military areas and calling up army reservists…The fight against terrorism is a national responsibility. We are at war against terrorism which represents a serious danger to national unity during this delicate period that the nation is going through.
Gunman identified
Islamic State identifies Rezgui as the gunman by his jihadi pseudonym, Abu Yahya al-Qayrawani, while local authorities in Tunisia confirm his real name as Seifeddine Rezgui. Tunisian Prime Minister’s report:
Seifeddine Rezgui came from the town of Gaafour in the Siliana region and had been a student at the University of Kairouan. He was 23-years-old and studying aviation. Rezgui had never travelled abroad.
Witnesses added that Rezgui looked to be about 20 to 25 years old and had long black hair and a beard.