Several Dead in Tunisia Terror Attack; Gunmen At Large

At least 21 people, mostly foriegn tourists, are dead in Tunisia after gunmen opened fire Wednesday at a major museum in the country's capital city of Tunis.

Tunisia's Prime Minister Habib Essid said 17 of those killed are tourists from Poland, Italy, Germany, and Spain. Two to three gunmen remain at large.

A museum employee told Reuters two attackers armed with assault rifles "opened fire on the tourists as they were getting off the buses before fleeing into the museum."

Two of the gunmen were killed by police but a manhunt is on for two or three others.

The identity and number of the attackers is not yet clear. Twitter accounts associated with ISIS were described as overjoyed at the attack, urging Tunisians to "follow their brothers," according to Rita Katz of SITE, a U.S.-based organization that monitors terrorist groups.

Dozens of tourists scrambled through the city holding hands, linking arms, and carrying children as everyone tried to find safety.

According to Tunisian state televsion, around 50 people were wounded in the attack that began a little after noon on Wednesday.

The attack happened just down the rode from the country's national parliament building. Sources claim deputies were debating the new anti-terrorism law inside the building during the assault.

"Our nation is in danger," Essid warned in an address on national television Wednesday evening after the siege ended. "We will be merciless in the defense of our country."

The prime minister promised increased security in tourist zones and asked residents to be extra alert.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Washington "condemns in the strongest possible terms today's deadly terrorist attack." He praised Tunisia's "rapid response" to the terror in the city.

At the time of the attack, a cruise ship with around 3,160 passengers aboard was docked in Tunis. Ship owner Costa Crociere confirmed that some of the passengers were visiting the capital Wednesday and that a tour of the Bardo was scheduled on the itinerary.

They have not been able to confirm if any of the passengers were in the museum at the time. The ship issued a recall to all passengers on board to return immediately.

The Bardo is Tunisia's largest museum. It was built into a 15th century palace and contains 8,000 works, including some items that are more than 40,000 years old.

The event marks one of the worst terrorist attacks the North African city has ever seen. It is a strong blow to the nation trying hard to revive its struggling tourism industry.

The last major attack in Tunisia happened in 2002 when al Qaeda terrorists detonated a car bomb that killed 19 people, 12 of whom were German tourists.

Recently, the country has been struggling to establish democracy and keep Islamic extremists at bay.

Reports say around 3,000 Tunisians have left the country to fight in Syria and Iraq with al Qaeda and the Islamic State group. Concerns about attacks in Tunisia have increased recently as the neighboring country of Libya has become less stable.

Tunisia has repeatedly expressed concern over the security threat from Libya, which is now run by competing militias.

North Africa analyst Geoff Porter said an attack on a tourism site has long been expected as terrorists face pressure from Tunisian security forces.

"Today's attack did not come out of nowhere. In fact, it comes amid ongoing counterterrorism efforts elsewhere in the country," he said. "Increasing pressure on terrorist activities ... may have squeezed the balloon, with terrorists seeking softer targets with more symbolic impact in the capital."