British travellers have been urged to avoid an area of Tunis targeted by a suspected terrorist bombing yesterday afternoon.
At least nine people were injured when a 30-year-old woman blew herself up in the centre of the Tunisian capital.
Describing the blast as a “terrorist explosion”, the country’s interior ministry said the woman had had no previous known militant background.
Eight of those hurt in the explosion on Avenue Habib Bourguiba, which runs through the middle of the city, were police officers.
No deaths have been reported and no group has admitted responsibility for the attack.
The explosion comes at a time when the country’s vital tourism industry is starting to show signs of recovery, more than three years after two deadly terror attacks decimated visitor numbers.
The first, an attack on the capital’s Bardo Museum in March 2015, left 22 people dead.
Another 38 people were killed in a resort in Sousse just three months later.
A state of emergency has been in effect in Tunisia since a suicide attack on a police bus in November 2015.
It has been extended a number of times, most recently on October 5 by one month.
The Foreign and Commonwealth Office said in revised travel advice: “We are aware of reports of a bombing incident on Avenue Habib Bourguiba in central Tunis on the afternoon of 29 October 2018.
“The British Embassy is in touch with the local authorities. We advise British nationals to follow the advice of local police and security forces and avoid the immediate vicinity of Avenue Habib Bourguiba.
“If you’ve been affected by the incident and need consular assistance, call the British Embassy on +216 71 108 700. If you’re in the UK and worried about someone in Tunisia, call the FCO in London on 020 7008 1500.”
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