In the aftermath of the Bardo museum attack that left 21 dead in Tunis, six high ranking police officers in charge of handling the situation have been fired.
Tunisian Prime Minister Habib Essid announced Monday that six police officers in total were fired due to neglecting their responsibilities to properly protect the museum, which gave terrorists of the Islamic State an opportunity to wreak more havoc.
Essid’s communications director Mofdi Mssedi explained in a statement that the prime minister went to the museum after the attack and “saw several deficiencies” which have gone unnamed; these security deficiencies spurred on the decision to dismiss the six police officers. Included in the dismissal were those in charge of tourist security and intelligence, and Tunis’s chief of police.
The Islamic State claims responsibility for the attack. Authorities believe three individuals carried out the act, two of whom were killed when an elite counterterrorism unit got to the scene and subdued the terrorists: Hatem Khachnaoui, 19, and Yassine Labidi, 26. There is a manhunt for third gunman by Tunisian authorities. Tunisian president Beji Caid Essebsi said that even though the third gunman is at large, “he won’t get far.”
The suspected third gunman is Maher Ben Moudli Kaidi, whose picture was circulated on Monday in Tunisian media. Officials stated that upwards of 20 people have been interrogated on suspicion of being connected with the museum attack.
Security officials stated that the original target was the National Assembly, located near the museum, however they decided to find another target after being deterred by the substantial police presence there. The National Assembly houses the governmental body tasked with creating and refining laws after the fall of former Tunisian president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali’s regime in 2011 during the Tunisian Revolution, a sub-movement within the Arab Spring.
The 20 dead were all foreign tourists from Japan, Italy, Spain, and Poland, in addition to a Tunisian police officer who responded to the situation on his day off.
The museum will reopen on Tuesday with a ceremony for the deceased, which includes a concert by the Tunis symphony orchestra.
