ISIS has claimed responsibility for the museum massacre in Tunisia.
The terror group posted an audio recording online in which they praise the two militants who were killed during the attack — dubbing them “knights of the Islamic State” who were armed with machine guns and bombs, according to Reuters.
Bordering Libya, the north African nation has reportedly become a breeding ground for the Islamic State, according to Reuters.
Officials estimate that around 3,000 Tunisians have traveled to Syria to wage jihad.
Most recently, Tunisian authorities arrested an estimated 100 people in just three days back in February because they were all suspected of having links to the terrorist group. A message sent from a pro-ISIS Twitter account just hours before Wednesday’s attack possibly hinted the terror group’s involvement in the attack on Bardo Museum.
“Coming good news to Tunisia’s Muslims,” the tweet read, according to the Daily Mail. “And a shock to the disbelievers and the hypocrites, especially those who claim to be cultured.'”
The tweet was posted by the account @riff0BA9 and was re-tweeted numerous times by other Islamic State sympathizers. The profile and message have since been deleted.
On Thursday, nine people in connection with the attack at the Bardo Museum were arrested, officials said.
The Tunisian president’s office announced Thursday morning that they had taken five individuals into custody that had direct connection with the terrorist strike at Bardo Museum in the capital of Tunis. The other four suspects were arrested as being part of a cell supporting those involved.
In addition, Tunisia’s army will be deployed to protect major cities and increase security across the country after Wednesday’s attack.
“After a meeting with the armed forces, the president has decided large cities will be secured by the army,” the president’s office said Thursday in a statement.
The north African nation is on edge after terrorists posing as soldiers went on a killing rampage at the Bardo Museum in Tunis — gunning down unsuspecting tourists as they got off buses and slaughtering hostages during a three-hour standoff.
The four arrests came Thursday as Tunisia’s health minister, Said Aidi, also said that the death toll had risen to 23 people, including 18 foreign tourists from Japan, Italy, Colombia, Australia, Spain, France and Poland, the Associated Press reports.
At least 44 people from Italy, France, Japan, South Africa, Poland, Belgium and Russia were wounded, officials said.
A British woman named Sally Jane Adey was also identified Thursday by UK Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond as one of the victims, according to BBC.
Aidi said that several of the victims had been brought in without identity documents, but he knew for certain that five Tunisians had been killed, including the two gunmen.