Arab League denounces terrorist attack in Tunis

CAIRO, March 18 (KUNA) -- Secretary-General of the Arab League Dr. Nabil Al-Arabi condemned in the strongest terms the deadly shooting attack on the Bardo National Museum which is adjacent to the parliament in Tunis on Wednesday.
"The despicable attack on innocent foreign tourists and Tunisian nationals at the museum is meant to undermine the leading democratic process in the country," he said in a press release here.
The shooting attack on the Tunisian museum reportedly claimed 22 lives, including 17 tourists, and wounded over 50 people, mostly European nationals.
Al-Arabi expressed confidence in the ability of the Tunisian leaders to defeat terrorists and protect the achievements of the Tunisian revolutions.
Expressing condolences over the victims of the attack, he said that the League stands ready to support the Tunisian people and government in their efforts to combat terrorism and extremism.
In a related development, the Italian Foreign Ministry said the deaths include three Italian tourists in addition to six wounded.
The ministry's crisis management unit sent a team to Tunis to offer care for the Italians there, according to a statement by the ministry.
Meanwhile, the Spanish Foreign Minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo said two Spaniards were among the dead.
He strongly condemned the terrorist attack, saying his ministry is in contact with the Tunisian authorities in this regard.
Meanwhile, Spanish Minister of Interior Jorge Fernandez Diaz said his ministry sent a team of anti-terror experts to Tunis to help investigate the attack. (end) kt.gb