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Tunisian security 'deliberately delayed arrival' at terror attack hotel

Tunisian security forces deliberately delayed their arrival on the scene of the terrorist attack in Sousse in which 38 tourists were killed, an inquest has heard.

Thirty Brits were among the dead, including three generations of the same family. The youngest victim was 19 and the oldest 80.

So far the inquest has heard how:

  • One victim died after the ambulance he was in waited 20-minutes before driving to hospital
  • Another victim was killed on the 10th anniversary of her husband's death
  • That some of the victims had to be identified by their nail polish
  • The widow of one victim played dead after they were both shot by gunman Seifeddine Rezgui "who smiled as he carried out the attack"
  • The inquest also heard how a friend of one of the victims survived by hiding in a toilet
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Tunisian security 'delayed their arrival' at attack hotel

Local investigators criticised police for a slow response to the killing in front of the five-star Riu Imperial Marhaba Hotel. Credit: PA

Tunisian police "deliberately and unjustifiably" delayed their arrival to the scene of the Sousse terrorist attack in which 30 Britons were killed, the inquest into the June 2015 massacre has heard.

Samantha Leek QC, counsel to the inquest, said a report by Tunisian Judge Akremi had identified failings by local units that could have ended the slaughter earlier.

Police arrived and shot extremist Seifeddine Rezgui Yacoubi dead after he had claimed the lives of 38 tourists on the beach outside the five-star Riu Imperial Marhaba Hotel.

The hearing packed with relatives of the victims at the Royal Courts of Justice in London heard an unnamed interior minister had told the judge some Tunisian security officers stalled on purpose.

He said the units that should have intervened in the events deliberately and unjustifiably slowed down to delay their arrival at the hotel.

They had the ability to put an end to the attack before the police arrived but wasted a considerable amount of time in getting to the hotel.

– Samantha Leek QC, counsel to the inquest
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Tunisian security 'deliberately delayed arrival' at terror attack hotel

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