Tunisia: tourism under siege
Scotland Yard investigators report finding evidential links between the Bardo Museum killings and the Sousse Beach massacre. &nbsp;As we reported yesterday, Tunisian leaders see the country's plight as increasingly desperate. &nbsp;The Foreign Office map in the attached article shows the principal 'no-go' areas: the deep south and border with Libya, and the three main border crossings into Algeria. Internal reports suggest that to all intents, the land borders are closed. &nbsp;Tunisia has 1,495 km of land borders and a 1,148 km coastline.
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Scotland Yard has found “strong” evidence to link the Tunisia beach massacre in Sousse where 38 tourists were killed with the attack on the country’s National Bardo Museum, where 22 people were killed in March.

The gunman, Seifeddine Rezgui, killed some 30 Britons when he opened fire on tourists at the Tunisian beach in June.

Rezgui was shot and killed by police and the terror group Isis (also known as Islamic State) claimed responsibility for the attack.

In pictures: Tunisia hotel attack Show all 32 1 / 32 In pictures: Tunisia hotel attack In pictures: Tunisia hotel attack Tunisia The coffin of Denis Thwaites is carried from an RAF C-17, which repatriated the bodies of eight British nationals killed in the Tunisia terror attack, at RAF Brize Norton near Oxford in Britain In pictures: Tunisia hotel attack Tunisia The coffin of John Stollery is carried from an RAF C-17, which repatriated the bodies of eight British nationals killed in the Tunisia terror attack, at RAF Brize Norton near Oxford in Britain In pictures: Tunisia hotel attack Tunisia The coffin of Elaine Thwaites, one of the victims of the terrorist attack, is taken from the RAF C-17 aircraft at RAF Brize Norton in Tunisia In pictures: Tunisia hotel attack Tunisia Hearses carrying the victim's of last Friday's terrorist attack arrive at Tunis Airport Getty Images In pictures: Tunisia hotel attack Tunisia An RAF C17 transport aircraft arrives at RAF Brize Norton Airport in Oxfordshire carrying the bodies of 8 British people killed in the Tunisia gun attack Getty Images In pictures: Tunisia hotel attack Tunisia Ambulances carrying the victim's of the terrorist attack arrive at Tunis Airport Getty Images In pictures: Tunisia hotel attack Tunisia Armed police continue to patrol Marhaba beach in Sousse Getty Images In pictures: Tunisia hotel attack Tunisia National guard members patrol at the beach near the Imperiale Marhaba hotel, which was attacked by a gunman in Sousse In pictures: Tunisia hotel attack Tunisia Military personnel attending to injured British nationals on board an RAF C-17 aircraft en route back to the United Kingdom, in Tunisia In pictures: Tunisia hotel attack Tunisia Military personnel attending to injured British nationals on board an RAF C-17 aircraft en route back to the United Kingdom, in Tunisia In pictures: Tunisia hotel attack Tunisia Holidaymakers lay flowers on Marhaba beach Getty Images In pictures: Tunisia hotel attack Tunisia Tourists pay tribute to the victims of the Sousse attack at a makeshift memorial on the beach at the Imperial Marhaba resort Reuters In pictures: Tunisia hotel attack Tunisia The Home Secretary Theresa May pays her respects with her counterparts, France’s Bernard Cazeneuve, left, Germany’s Thomas de Maiziere, second left, and Tunisia’s Najem Gharsalli, in Sousse Reuters In pictures: Tunisia hotel attack Tunisia Two tourists pay respects to victims of IS attack on beach in Sousse, Tunisia Kenzo Tribouillard/AFP/Getty In pictures: Tunisia hotel attack Tunisia Many people remain unaccounted for and many of their relatives have taken to social media in the hope of obtaining information about those who are still missing (Getty) Getty In pictures: Tunisia hotel attack Tunisia A boy holds a Tunisian flag at the spot on the beach where the attack took place Reuters In pictures: Tunisia hotel attack Tunisia A man kisses a Tunisian flag at the site of a shooting attack on the beach in front of the Riu Imperial Marhaba Hotel in Port el Kantaoui, on the outskirts of Sousse In pictures: Tunisia hotel attack Tunisia The front of the Marhaba hotel Getty In pictures: Tunisia hotel attack Tunisia Tunisian Ennahdha party member and former minister Houcine Jazir speaks with Belgium survivor couple Corman (R) and Claude Pesser after a mass shooting in the resort town of Sousse In pictures: Tunisia hotel attack Tunisia The bloodstained belongings of a tourist are seen on the sand in the resort town of Sousse AFP/Getty Images In pictures: Tunisia hotel attack Tunisia A broken glass window of the Imperiale Marhaba hotel is seen after a gunman opened fire at the beachside hotel in Sousse Reuters In pictures: Tunisia hotel attack Tunisia Blood stains cover the ground at the Imperial Marhaba Hotel in Sousse, Tunisia after mass shooting Fethi Belais/AFP/Getty In pictures: Tunisia hotel attack Tunisia Policemen patrolling the beach in front of the Riu Imperial Marhaba Hotel in Sousse where tributes have been laid to the dead AFP/Getty In pictures: Tunisia hotel attack Tunisia People stand in silence next to flowers during a gathering at the scene of the attack in Sousse, Tunisia Getty In pictures: Tunisia hotel attack Tunisia Messages and flowers are left on Marhaba beach where 38 people were killed in a terrorist attack in Souuse Getty Images In pictures: Tunisia hotel attack Tunisia Police officers control the crowd while surrounding a man suspected to be involved in opening fire on a beachside hotel in Sousse, Tunisia In pictures: Tunisia hotel attack Tunisia Medics help an injured man in Sousse In pictures: Tunisia hotel attack Tunisia A body lies on a street in Sousse In pictures: Tunisia hotel attack Tunisia Members of the Tunisian security forces in an armoured vehicle patrol a street in Sousse In pictures: Tunisia hotel attack Tunisia The beach where the massacre took place Lionel Tunisiano/Twitter In pictures: Tunisia hotel attack Tunisia A general view of the deserted pool and deck chairs at the Imperial Marhaba Hotel EPA In pictures: Tunisia hotel attack Tunisia A woman looks toward a glass door shattered by a bullet at Imperial Marhaba Hotel EPA

Just months earlier, a group of mostly tourists were killed in the suspected terror attack on the country’s National Bardo Museum, just outside the city of Tunis.

The Metropolitan Police supplied officers to help the Tunisian investigation into the massacres, and have now found evidence to link the two attacks.

Richard Walton, head of the Met's Counter Terrorism Command, said: “We are now linking evidentially the Bardo Museum investigation with the Sousse investigation.”

He did not provide more details of the suspected connection but said "it is strong evidence, that links the two," adding that a team of officers are working closely with the Tunisian authorities on both inquiries.

The coroner in the UK has also been told about the link.

Tunisian police have arrested nine people over the museum attack and 150 over the Sousse attack, of which 15 have been charged with terrorism offences.

Mr Walton said Rezgui's family have not yet claimed his body due to the shame and fear of reprisal.

The Foreign Office is warning against all but essential travel for the majority of Tunisia (FCO)

Specialist advisors have been sent to Tunisia as its authorities assess security at resorts and tourist attractions.

Since the day of the Sousse attack British officers have now taken a total of 459 witness statements in the country, while more than 370 photograph and video files from mobile devices are being assessed by detectives, Scotland Yard revealed.

Authorities in Tunisia have deployed "significant resource" into the investigation, Mr Watson said, disclosing that operations have been carried out across the country to disrupt terrorist activity and identify suspects.

He said those charged in these operations face allegations of being involved in a terrorist plot, not informing police of a plan and providing logistical or other support, among others.

It could take up to 18 months for a trial to take place in relation to the murders, however.

Additional reporting by PA