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TUNISIA-UNREST-EXPLOSION
Blast targets US embassy in Tunis, attacker dead: police
TUNIS, March 6, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – An attacker targeted the US embassy in
the Tunisian capital on Friday, causing an explosion and injuries among
police before being killed, police said.
The assailant tried to enter the embassy but was prevented by police who
guarded the diplomatic mission in the Berges du Lac district, a police
official said.
Several police were wounded in the attack, the official added, without
giving further details.
“The operation was doomed to fail,” he said.
Police said the attacker had been riding a motorcycle.
They did not immediately confirm if it was a suicide attack, but body parts
were seen strewn on the ground at the scene.
The explosion caused panic among pedestrians near the embassy, images
shared online showed.
Tunisia faced a rise in jihadist activity after its 2011 revolution, with
attacks killing dozens of security personnel, civilians and foreign tourists.
While the security situation has significantly improved since a series of
deadly attacks in 2015, Tunisia has maintained a state of emergency for four
years and assaults against security forces have persisted.
BSS/AFP/SSS/1827 hrs