Sousse, Tunisia - Tunisian authorities have arrested a group of suspects associated with the gunman who killed 39 people, mainly British tourists, in a beach hotel attack claimed by Islamic State, the interior minister said on Monday.
British interior minister Theresa May, as well as French and German counterparts, visited the site of the attack near the Imperial Marhaba hotel in the resort town of Sousse, laying flowers on the beach. She promised Tunisia help in security, intelligence, police training and to help keep tourism alive.
Tourism Police, armed with handguns and rifles, patrolled the waterfront where some European tourists remained amid the parasols and bouquets scattered in the sand.
Interior Minister Najem Gharsalli gave no details of those arrested and said officials were verifying whether gunman Saif Rezgui had been trained in neighbouring Libya in jihadist camps.
Forensic evidence shows Rezgui, a student who gave few clues to family and friends that he had been radicalized, was likely the only gunman, though others may have been involved in planning and organising the attack.
“We will find all those involved, whether it was just logistical support or not,” the Tunisian minister said, flanked by ministers from Britain, France and Germany.
Tunisia, which had a relatively peaceful transition to democracy after its 2011 'Arab Spring' uprising, has one of the most secular state structures in the Arab world. But is also struggling with a rise in Islamist militancy.
Islamist jihadists have hit North African tourist sites before in Tunisia and Morocco, seeing them as legitimate targets because of their open Western lifestyles, free mixing of the sexes and tolerance of alcohol.
The number of Britons confirmed killed by the Islamist gunman in Friday's attack has risen to 18 from 15 and the final death toll of Britons is likely to increase to around 30 people, a British spokeswoman said.
British police are in Tunisia helping in the process of formally identifying victims.
“What happened here last Friday was a despicable act of cruelty,” British minister May told reporters. “How could a place of such beauty, of relaxation be turned into a scene of brutality and destruction.
“We have discussed concrete ways in which we can share our expertise in which we can help each other in dealing with this terrible threat we all face.”
French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said that cooperation could include intelligence sharing and coordination with frontier police and airport security.
Tour companies have helped thousands of tourists leave Tunisia since Friday's attack on a country that relies heavily on tourism for jobs and foreign currency revenues.
Rezgui, the gunman, dressed in shorts and a T-shirt, opened fire with a rifle he had hidden in an umbrella, targetting Britons, Germans, Belgians and Irish tourists as they lounged at the beach and pool.
The attack came just three months after two gunmen killed 21 people at the Bardo Museum in Tunis. Both had spent time with Tunisian jihadists training in neighbouring Libya.
Caught in a conflict between two rival governments, Libya has increasingly become a haven for Islamist militant groups who have profited from the chaos to seek shelter and set up camps.
Reuters