The president of Tunisia has declared a state of emergency after a bus exploded carrying Tunisian presidential guards in the capital city of Tunis.

This from the Associated Press:

Tunisia’s president has declared … a curfew in the capital after an attack on a bus carrying his presidential guard that killed 12 people.

Beji Caid Essebsi said in a televised address that the country is at “war against terrorism” and called for international cooperation against extremists who have staged several attacks around the world in recent weeks.

Essebsi said “I want to reassure the Tunisian people that we will vanquish terrorism.” He wasn’t in the bus when it was attacked Tuesday in the center of the capital.

His office says he is cancelling a trip to Switzerland that had been scheduled for Wednesday.

Witnesses to the tragedy said the bombed ripped through the driver’s side of the vehicle, and that it was “not an ordinary explosion”.

Five corpses were seen lying on the ground at the scene.

Another witness described it as a “catastrophic spectacle”.