Islamic State claims responsibility for Tunisia attack

Islamic State claimed responsibility on Wednesday for an attack on a Tunisian presidential guard bus, an official statement from the group said.

Islamic State claimed responsibility on Wednesday for an attack on a Tunisian presidential guard bus, an official statement from the group said.

Tunisian forensic police inspect the wreckage of a bus in the aftermath of a bomb attack on the vehicle which was transporting Tunisia's presidential guard in central Tunis on November 25, 2015. (AFP)

It said a Tunisian suicide bomber named “Abou Abdallah al-Tounissi” carried out Tuesday’s attack, which killed 12 presidential guards.

Tunisian authorities said that a suicide bomber carried out the attack on Tuesday, which killed at least 12 people and forced the government to impose a nationwide state of emergency.

Earlier, the interior ministry said 10 kilos of explosives in either a vest or a rucksack was used for carrying out the bombing.

“The terrorist attack was committed using a backpack or vest containing 10 kilos of explosives,” a ministry statement said, without specifying whether it was a suicide bombing.

It said the 12 presidential guards killed in the attack on their bus in Tunis on Tuesday had been identified based on their fingerprints.

“The 13th body is believed to be that of the terrorist who caused the explosion,” the ministry said, adding that DNA tests were being carried out to try to identify the suspected attacker.