Tunis--Tunisia said Sunday it had killed the leader of the jihadists behind the massacre at its national museum, as foreign leaders joined thousands of Tunisians in a march against extremism.
Chanting "Tunisia is free! Terrorism out!" the demonstrators marched in a sea of red Tunisian flags to the capital's Bardo Museum, where 21 foreign tourists were killed in the March 18 jihadist shooting rampage.
"The Tunisian people have proven that they will not give in to terrorism. My thanks go out to all and I tell the Tunisian people: 'Forwards. You are not alone,'" President Beji Caid Essebsi said after joining the march with foreign dignitaries.
French President Francois Hollande, whose country held a similar march after January's attacks in Paris, was among the figures attending along with Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas.
"We must all fight against terrorism," Hollande told reporters after the march. "Tunisians wanted this international solidarity."
Tunisian authorities earlier said Lokmane Abou Sakhr -- an Algerian who allegedly masterminded the museum attack -- was killed along with at least eight others from the notorious Okba Ibn Nafaa Brigade.
Officials had accused Abou Sakhr and his group of organising the attack on the Bardo National Museum carried out by two gunmen who were shot dead, despite a claim of responsibility from the Islamic State jihadist group.
Tunisian forces "were able yesterday (Saturday) to kill the most important members of the Okba Ibn Nafaa Brigade including its head Lokmane Abou Sakhr," Prime Minister Habib Essid told reporters.
Interior Ministry spokesman Mohamed Ali Aroui told AFP that security forces had killed "nine terrorists" in an operation in the west-central area of Sidi Aich.
AFP
