(MENAFN- Gulf Times) The gunman who killed 38 tourists in Tunisia received weapons training from Islamist militants in Libya, a top official said yesterday, as the president admitted security services were unprepared for the attack.
On Friday, a student identified as 23-year-old Seifeddine Rezgui pulled a Kalashnikov assault rifle from inside a beach umbrella and went on a bloody rampage at the five-star Riu Imperial Marhaba hotel in Port El Kantaoui near Sousse.
Secretary of state for security Rafik Chelli said Rezgui had been in Libya at the same time as the two authors of a March attack at the National Bardo Museum in Tunis that killed 21 tourists and a policeman.
Both attacks were claimed by the Islamic State group, which controls large swathes of Iraq and Syria.
"It is confirmed that he (Rezgui) went to Libya illegally. He was trained in Sabratha (west of Tripoli)," Chelli said.
"They were away at the same time... In Sabratha, there is only one camp that trains young Tunisians," he said, although he could not confirm whether they had trained together.
The camp was run by the Ansar al-Shariah militant group, Chelly added.
His statement came after French radio broadcast an interview with President Beji Caid Essebsi, who said security had been boosted after the museum attack in other areas for the holy month of Ramadan.
But authorities had not expected Tunisia's beaches to be targeted, he said.
"It is true that we were surprised by this incident. Arrangements were made for the month of Ramadan, but they never thought (measures) had to be taken on the beaches," Essebsi told Europe 1.
After the Bardo attack, militants threatened further violence, with IS sympathisers tweeting under the hashtag #IWillComeToTunisiaThisSummer.
"It's not a perfect system," Essebsi said, vowing disciplinary action "if there were failings".
Tunisia is expected to deploy 1,000 armed officers today to reinforce tourism police-who will also be armed-at beaches and attractions.
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