The state of emergency temporarily gives the Tunisian government, army and security forces more powers and limits certain rights such as the right to public assembly.
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More than a week after a deadly attack by an Islamic extremist at a Tunisian beachfront resort that killed 38 foreign tourists, the president of the North African country has declared a state of emergency.
“The president has declared a state of emergency in Tunisia and will address the nation at 5pm (1600 GMT)”, Essebsi’s office said.
Tunisia has faced a surge in jihadist violence since the revolution in which dozens of police and soldiers have been killed.
Last week, a gunman opened fire on sunbathers in the coastal city of Sousse, perpetrating Tunisia’s worst-ever terrorist attack.
In the aftermath of the attack, witnesses came forward with chilling accounts of the attack, saying the gunman smiled as he pulled the trigger.
A Tunisian student identified as Seifeddine Rezgui gunned down vacationers along the beach in the resort town of Sousse on June 26 before police shot and killed him.
Queen Elizabeth II and British Prime Minister David Cameron were among those who observed a minute’s silence at noon Friday, a week after the attack.
The connection highlights the risks Tunisia faces as its larger neighbor descends into anarchy, with rival governments fighting each other as well as Islamic State militants looking to use the oil producer as a springboard for attacks in Europe.
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Authorities say the gunman was not on any police watch list for jihadist fighters.
