At least Seven foreigners and one Tunisian are dead after an attack on a leading museum, according to the country's Interior Ministry.

Reports indicate that some hostages may still be held in the museum after gunmen stormed the building.

A Tunisian state news report said the shooting broke out around midday local time on Wednesday at the Bardo Museum, which is adjacent to the national Parliament building. The gunmen are reportedly still holding hostages in the building, though news outlet Tunisia 1 broadcast live video of some of the hostages being released.
Photos purportedly taken inside the museum show security forces responding to the scene. Based on other photos taken inside the building, several children seem to be in the museum at the time of the attack.
Tunisian radio station Radio Mosaique said that three men dressed in military-style clothing may have taken hostages inside the museum. The national museum is the oldest in the country and has long been a tourist attraction.

Video from the scene shows armed security forces attempting to enter the building.
The museum chronicles Tunisia's history and includes one of the world's largest collections of Roman mosaics.

Tunisia has struggled with violence by Islamic extremists since overthrowing a dictator in 2011, and is seen as the birthplace of the Arab Spring movement.

However the country made a successful transition to democracy with the first free and fair presidential election in 2014 that remained peaceful.