Tunisians formed shield to protect tourists from gunman

Tunisia's top security official says 1000 extra police are being deployed at tourist sites and beaches. Photo / AP

British tourists who survived the massacre of at least 38 people at Sousse in Tunisia have told of how locals formed a human shield to protect tourists from gunman Seifeddine Rezgui.

After images emerged showing a group of men standing metres behind as Rezgui walked along the beach holding his rifle there were suggestions that locals should have done more to stop the attack that killed at least 30 Britons. Witnesses have come out in defence of the Tunisians on the beach, saying that they acted together to prevent more deaths.

John Yeoman, who was on holiday with his wife at a neighbouring resort when the shooting began, tweeted: "Those in the background formed a human shield to protect another hotel. They are not watching; they saved many lives." After flying back to Britain, Yeoman's wife met another couple at the airport who described similar scenes of bravery by locals. The couple told her that a hotel chef had told them to run for their lives.

"He was the one who told them that the line of people they could see ahead of them were staff from the hotel," she told the Independent.

"He said to this couple that they were telling the gunman 'you'll have to get past us and we're Muslims'.

"Obviously I don't know the exact words but that was pretty much what they were saying. They'd actually made a human barricade - 'you're not going to get past us, you'll have to kill us'."

Extraordinary accounts of bravery have emerged, including the story of Ibrahim el Ghoul, who helped tourists get to a boat and chased the gunman down the beach, throwing stones at him and shouting "Allahu Akbar".

"I was saying bad words in Arabic at him. But he just kept smiling. He walked about 5m and stopped, turned around and said: 'I am not here to kill you. Turn around and go home'."

Moments later, Rezgui was shot dead by police.

A wounded British holidaymaker told how she survived the massacre by playing dead as the gunman shot her husband beside her.

Cheryl and Stephen Mellor huddled under a sun lounger before they were seen by Rezgui. Cheryl Mellor was badly hurt and lay beside her husband, who was believed to be among the dead, for 20 minutes waiting for help to arrive. Telegraph Group Ltd

Latest developments

Tunisian security boost

Police on horseback and quad bikes patrolled the beach at Port El Kantaoui north of Sousse, where the jihadist attack took place. The Tourism Ministry confirmed plans to deploy 1000 armed officers to reinforce the tourism police, who will now carry guns for the first time. Armed officers will be deployed "inside and outside hotels", on beaches and at tourist and archaeological sites.

Britain mobilises more police

Today interior ministers from Britain, France and Germany were to visit the seaside Riu Imperial Marhaba Hotel where the killings took place. The BBC reported the number of British victims may rise to more than 30. British counterterrorism police official Mark Rowley said Britain has mobilised more than 600 officers and staff in response to the attack. Britain has deployed senior detectives and forensic teams to Tunisia.

Rezgui 'had support, acted alone'

Interior Ministry spokesman Mohamed Ali Aroui said Seifeddine Rezgui acted alone during the attack but had accomplices who supported him beforehand. The attacker's father and three roommates were detained and questioned. Investigators believe accomplices provided the Kalashnikov assault rifle to Rezgui and helped him get to the scene.

- AP, AFP