Wisal Bu Zaidi, like other tour guides, was accompanying tourists from all over the world around Tunis on the morning of March 18. “It was a sunny day, perfect for trips so I went to the Halq al-Wadi port early in the morning with my colleagues to receive the buses bringing European, South American and Asian tourists.” 

Wisal Bu Zaidi, like other tour guides, was accompanying tourists from all over the world around Tunis on the morning of March 18. “It was a sunny day, perfect for trips so I went to the Halq al-Wadi port early in the morning with my colleagues to receive the buses bringing European, South American and Asian tourists.” 

Zaidi and his group left the port at 8:30 to go to Tunis. They arrived at Kasbah Yard by 9, where tourists meandered through the capital’s ancient markets. The group then headed toward Bardo Museum at 11 to get a glimpse of one of the world’s largest collection of mosaics.

The bus entered the main premises of the museum by 11:45 along with many other buses parking in the yard. There were no inspections at the gate because security checks should have already been made at Halq al-Wadi port. “Besides,” said Zaidi, “My name and the names of other tour guides and bus drivers are all registered with the security units.” 

The moment the bus stopped in front of the museum yard, in front of the crystal door, tourists began leaving their buses and crowding the area. Zaidi noticed a young man in his twenties wandering between the buses and carrying a black bag on his back. 

Suddenly, the young man placed his black bag on the ground, opened it, and took out a Kalashnikov. “Until that moment, it did not occur to me that this young man, who was wearing sports clothes and a hat on his head, and who looked like a tourist, could have been a terrorist,” said Zaidi.

When the man began firing at people, if finally became clear to Zaidi what was happening.  “Some of the tourists I was accompanying were just leaving the bus when the bullets started flying from every direction.  The tourists—men, women and children— started to run away and to fall down.” 

“I ran towards the museum’s fence which is adjacent to a military barrack and there I saw an Italian woman and a Japanese tourist who fell on the driver and they were covered in blood. 

Zaidi observed that the young gunman was accompanied by another man, dressed similarly in sports clothes.  He too was firing in all directions and the two men went inside the museum after leaving the parking place full of injured and killed people. 

“I hid quickly and headed towards the barrack’s fence,” Zaidi says of his escape. “It was then that a number of soldiers began to prepare themselves to confront the terrorists,” he explained. 

“The situation was complete hysteria— as if there was an earthquake or a disaster and I couldn’t understand what was going on until the arrival of the security men and intervention units,” remembered Zaidi.

Once the security units arrived, the gunmen went inside the museum full of tourists, Tunisian visitors and children with their parents. 

“The two terrorists did not point their guns towards Tunisians,” Zaidi remembered. “They only wanted to kill tourists. They saw some Tunisian visitors but they did not kill them.”