Many have wondered how two gunmen were able to slip past security in Tunis on March 18 and kill 23 people and injure 50 others in Bardo Museum, which is located only 150 meters away from the parliament building?

Correspondents spoke to Rafik Chelli, Senior Security Official at Tunisia’s Ministry of the Interior.

Many have wondered how two gunmen were able to slip past security in Tunis on March 18 and kill 23 people and injure 50 others in Bardo Museum, which is located only 150 meters away from the parliament building?

Correspondents spoke to Rafik Chelli, Senior Security Official at Tunisia’s Ministry of the Interior.

Rafek Chelli, many stories have been circulating about what actually happened at Bardo National Museum. Some have been skeptical about the perpetrators of the attack and others have spoken about the presence of two veiled women inside the museum at the time?

Unfortunately, there has been much talk about the incident and most of the stories are incorrect. The Ministry of Interior has no interest in providing false accounts. What has been stated by the official spokesperson of the Interior Ministry, or what I personally stated in TV programs is the truth about what actually happened.

We stressed that there were two terrorists who carried out the attack, and that both of them had been killed. We also said they had accomplices who assisted and supported them. We also discovered a cell that coordinated the operation. An investigation is underway and details will be made public in due course.

We know that the quest for truth requires accuracy and we must further scrutinize the available data. Therefore, we may keep some facts regarding this case confidential.

What information do you have about the two terrorists who perpetrated the attack?

The information we have at present indicates that the terrorists had earlier migrated to Libya, specifically in December 2014. They received training in camps there. In fact, we have no information about these camps, but they likely exist in Derna and Sabratha. They later returned to Tunisia to carry out the terrorist act.

We expect that recruitment or polarization took place at one of the mosques. Besides, one of the perpetrators of the attack, named Yassin al-Obeidi, had been arrested before. He was one of the suspicious and extremist elements known as ‘Takfiris’, but in the absence of evidence warranting his arrest, he was temporarily reprimanded but was later released.

What security mistakes led to the terrorists’ infiltration of the museum? Is it actually true that the guards on duty at the time were at a café when the attack took place?

The talk about the absence of the guards is baseless and I have read such statements on many social network websites. True, there was negligence and violations with regards to guarding the exterior part of the museum given the nature of that place, as I explained before. Consequently, that place turned into an open space for passersby. Some people attend the mosque and others go to the café. Others come to visit the museum. Were it not for the negligence at the entrance to that area, the terrorists would not have been able to get into the museum and carry out their attack.

However, had it not been for the quick intervention of the police guards, who were there in less than fifteen minutes after the attack, the disaster would have been more devastating. The terrorists were prevented from using their explosive belts. Otherwise, the human losses could have been much higher and most of the 95 tourists who happened to be at that place, and who were stranded inside the museum, could have died.

The intervention was quick and very effective, and the mission was accomplished within two hours and four minutes and ended in the killing of the terrorists. The operation was completed in record time and on that night, many suspects implicated in the attack were arrested within 24 hours. That achievement raised the morale of the involved security staff.

What immediate measures have been taken by the Interior Ministry in the aftermath of the terrorist attack on Bardo Museum?

The first action was to reconsider the duty of securing the Bardo Museum premises especially the exterior entrance leading to the building. That action was paramount considering the existence of a café and a mosque in the same area, in addition to the extensive nearby traffic, which turned the area into a passage for pedestrians and even cars towards the parliament building.

After the incident, the situation there will not remain as it was in the past. The traffic will be changed and tickets for museum visitors will be bought at another place, in addition to bringing in extensive security forces inside and outside the Bardo Museum. Coordination is currently underway with the Ministry of Culture to discuss the measures that are to be taken in this regard.

We noticed an intensive presence of security guards and Tunisian army soldiers in many regions across the country and at numerous government institutions. Can you talk about the intensified security presence?

It is normal after a terrorist attack and in the face of the ongoing terrorist threats that security deployment will be reconsidered in different areas across the country and in the capital. Entrance points into the cities and other critical areas including roads, facilities and places close to Al-Shaanbi and Kasserine have to be closely watched.

We have also intensified the security precautions in certain institutions which could be anticipated targets by terrorists.

You have spoken earlier about equipment that may be brought in to help security personnel perform their duties. What is this equipment?

We have received some equipment and more is on the way. In fact, we are still in need of some equipment which is expensive. Necessary funds will be allocated to procure this equipment within the Interior Ministry’s budget.

This equipment will enable our officers and security units stationed at the rugged and remote regions, like Kasserine, Kef and Jendouba (border areas), to monitor these places in which terrorists are likely to exist. Besides, highlands require special equipment to provide the highest possible protection to our men. In this regard, we have procured what we could and seek to bring in more technology in the future. We have also coordinated efforts with some brotherly and friendly countries that can support us in this respect.