Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi admitted in an interview broadcast Tuesday that the country was not prepared for last week's jihadist beach massacre.
Essebsi said security had been boosted in other areas for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, a time of Islamist violence in previous years, but that the authorities had not expected the beaches to be a target.
"It is true that we were surprised by this incident," Essebsi told France's Europe 1 radio.
"They made arrangements for the month of Ramadan, but never did they think they would need to do so on the beaches."
Essebi's comments came a day before Tunisia is to deploy 1,000 armed officers to reinforce tourism police along its Mediterranean coastline in a bid to reassure European holidaymakers and limit the damage to its tourism industry.
Late Monday, Tourism Minister Selma Elloumi Rekik told reporters she feared Tunisia may lose a billion dinars ($515 million, 460 million euros) in tourism earnings this year.
Thirty-eight people were killed in Friday's attack, the majority of them British tourists.
A Tunisian identified as 23-year-old Seifeddine Rezgui pulled a Kalashnikov assault rifle from inside a beach umbrella and went on a bloody rampage on the beach and beside a hotel pool.
The gunman was eventually shot dead but there has been criticism of the length of time it took.
"If there were failings, disciplinary action will be taken immediately," Essebsi said.
It was the second jihadist attack targeting tourists in Tunisia in three months. In March, an attack on the National Bardo Museum in the capital killed 22 people.

President admits Tunisia was not prepared for beach massacre

Tunisian President Beji Caid Essebsi listens during his meeting with President Barack Obama in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington. (File Photo: AP)
Tunis
Tuesday 30 June 2015
Last Update: Wednesday, 20 May 2020 KSA 09:46 - GMT 06:46
DAY | WEEK |
-
7744 Views Full moon to align directly above Kaaba in Mecca on Jan. 28
-
7035 Views Coronavirus: Dubai restaurants offer discounts for vaccinated diners
-
4323 Views Coronavirus: Dubai’s new restrictions disappoint hospitals; entertainers struggle on
-
1624 Views More than 250,000 foreign workers exit Saudi labor market within 3 months
-
1326 Views Britain, France and Germany ‘strongly condemn’ air attack on Saudi Arabia
-
1251 Views Coronavirus: Saudi Arabia to get AstraZeneca shots in about a week from India
-
23243 Views Coronavirus: Dubai temporarily postpones Pfizer vaccine campaign amid global shortage
-
10974 Views Coronavirus: Dubai orders hospitals to cancel surgeries amid surge in COVID-19 cases
-
9159 Views The American University of Beirut’s battle for survival
-
8287 Views Coronavirus: Dubai suspends live entertainment permits as COVID-19 cases surge
-
8042 Views Coronavirus: Dubai's latest COVID-19 rules for weddings, restaurants, gyms, concerts
-
7744 Views Full moon to align directly above Kaaba in Mecca on Jan. 28
SHOW MORE