The Australian government has confirmed that an Australian is among 22 people killed after gunmen opened fire on a world renowned museum in Tunisia’s capital, Tunis.
Prime Minister Habid Essid said the Australian is one of 17 foreign tourists killed, including five Japanese, four Italians, two Colombians and one each from Australia, France, Poland and Spain, ABC News reports.
Earlier today, the Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister, Julie Bishop, released a statement confirming a dual Australian-Colombian citizen, who was a resident of New South Wales, was killed.
In question time today, Tony Abbott said “our deepest sympathies and condolences go to his family and friends”.
“His family are being rendered every possible consular assistance,” Mr Abbott told Parliament.
“Plainly, it is an attack by Islamist extremists on a fledgling democracy, a democracy which had thus far proven quite effective in resisting the kind of extremism characterised by Al Qaeda and its variants and the ISIL or death cult in the Middle East.”
The attack took place at the Bardo National Museum in Tunis, when two gunmen shot at tourists as they were disembarking from a bus outside the museum.
The Tunisian President, Beji Caid Essebsi has said there will be a merciless “war against terrorism” across the nation.