Explosions Shake Busy Parts of Tunisia’s Capital

The first explosion in front of a police patrol, in a popular shopping area in central Tunis, wounded four and killed one officer, while a second blast near a police station in Al Qarjani district injured four, the Interior Ministry said.

It is Tunisia’s peak tourism season and the country is just months away from a crucial election.

Two security officers and three civilians were injured in the first blast near a police car, the country’s interior ministry said.

Turkish news agency Anadolu said the blast was a hundred meters from the French embassy.

A security cordon has been set up, monitored by heavily armed police.

Videos from the scene indicate the first attack took place on the corner of Charles de Gaule street and Avenue de France.

The second blast occurred shortly after the first near a police station in Al Qarjani district.

Four people were injured, the Interior Ministry said.

It is not clear who is responsible for the bombings but ISIL operates in the country.

In October a female suicide bomber detonated on Avenue Habib Bourguiba, near the reported location of Thursday’s attack.

Tunisia has been battling militant groups near its border with Algeria since an Arab uprising overthrew Zine Abidine Ben Ali in 2011.

Terror attacks in recent years have targeted key tourist attractions including a beach in Sousse and a museum in Tunis. Another attack targeted presidential guards in the capital. All attacks were claimed by ISIL.