2015 Tunis Bus Bombing

On 24 November 2015, a bus carrying members of the Tunisian Presidential Security guard exploded on Mohamed V Avenue, a principal thoroughfare in Tunis, Tunisia. At least 12 people were killed. The bus was parked near a location where guard members were typically picked up and dropped off when the blast occurred, according to an official in the Tunisian Prime Minister's office.

Presidential spokesman Moez Sinaoui described the explosion as an "attack." A ministry official confirmed the location on Mohamed V Avenue to AFP, and an AFP journalist reported seeing the partly burnt-out shell of the bus, with police, ambulances, and fire trucks present at the scene.

The bomber, who died in the attack, was identified as Houssem Abdelli, a 28-year-old resident of Tunis. His mother identified him from a photograph.

The Tunisian Interior Ministry announced that the bombing was an act of terrorism, stating that Semtex explosive used in the attack was traced to Libya. The Islamic State militant group claimed responsibility in an online statement; however, authorities did not publicly discuss any confirmed ties between the bomber and extremist groups.

This attack followed two earlier 2015 attacks in Tunisia that the Islamic State also claimed, both targeting the tourism industry: the Bardo National Museum attack in March and an attack on a beach resort in Sousse in June.

In response to the bombing, President Beji Caid Essebsi placed Tunis under curfew and reinstated a month-long state of emergency. The Tunisian Interior Ministry reported that national security raids led to the arrest of 40 people suspected of ties to terrorist groups, including the suspected bomber's sister and mother. Tunisia's Security Council also ordered the shutdown of Facebook accounts and websites linked to terrorist groups.