Gunman from Tunisian museum terror attack is killed in armed raid

Prime Minister Habib Essid has told state news agency TAP that Khaled Chaieb, also known as Abou Sakhr Lokman, was killed overnight in an operation in the Gafsa region near the Algerian border.

Chaieb is believed to be a prominent militant in al-Qaida's North African arm and is described as one of Tunisia's 'most dangerous terrorists.' 

He was one of nine armed militants killed in an operation on Saturday evening. 

Chaieb is suspected of leading or helping lead the March 18 attack on the National Bardo Museum which saw 21 people, mostly foreign tourists gunned down. Police killed two of the gunmen who are said to be Tunisians in their 20s, who had trained in Libya. 

Security officials have claimed the militants were members of the Okba Ibn Nafaa Brigade, a jihadist group.

Authorities have arrested several people in connection with the attack - dubbed the worst in Tunisia in 13 years.

CCTV footage of the shooting shows the gunmen roaming free around the museum. The lack of security at the country's largest museum has since been called into question.

The news comes as tens of thousands of Tunisians marched through the capital Tunis in a solidarity protest today. 

French President Francois Hollande confirmed yesterday that Huguette Dupeu had died from her injuries following the attack. 

Mr Hollande and Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and several foreign ministers and officials from other countries are joining an anti-terrorism ceremony in Tunis after the march.

The Tunisian government called on all major political parties to join the march from the seat of government at Bab Es-Saadoun to the museum.

The international visitors are showing solidarity with Tunisia, whose fragile new democracy was deeply shaken by the museum attack, for which ISIS claimed responsibility.

Fighters from Tunisia make up a disproportionately high number of foreign recruits to ISIS in Syria, with as many as 10,000 having signed up.

ISIS issued a statement and audio on jihadi websites applauding the dead gunmen as 'knights' for their 'blessed invasion of one of the dens of infidels and vice in Muslim Tunisia'.

(dailymail.co.uk)