Cameron calls for fight back against extremism

Writing in the British newspaper "The Daily Telegraph" on Monday, Cameron called for a response to the deadly attack in Tunisia "both home and abroad."

"We must be stronger at standing up for our values - of peace, democracy, tolerance, freedom," Cameron wrote.

"We must be more intolerant of intolerance - rejecting anyone whose views condone the Islamist extremist narrative and create the conditions for it to flourish."

Death toll expected to rise

At least 38 people were killed in the Tunisian beach resort of Sousse on Friday after an Islamist gunman disguised as a tourist opened fire on holiday makers at the Imperial Marhaba hotel.

Among those killed were 15 Britons, three Irish people, a Belgian, a Portuguese and one German. According to a report published by the BBC on Monday, however, the number of British victims could more than double.

Friday's assault was the largest loss of British life in a terror attack since 52 people died in suicide bombings on London's buses and underground on July 7, 2005.

In order to prevent future attacks, the British Prime Minister said that Islamic extremism must be dealt with at its source, in countries such as Syria, Iraq and Libya, where Cameron said IS is "peddling and plotting its death cult."

Speaking to BBC radio on Monday morning, Cameron warned that that while IS exists in Iraq and Syria, "we are at threat."

Armed officers deployed

In light of Friday's attack, Tunisian authorities have already stepped up security. From July 1, 1,000 armed officers will be deployed to reinforce the tourism police who will also carry guns for the first time.

Germany's Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere was due to visit the scene of the shooting later on Monday, to "express our solidarity with the Tunisian people." Speaking over the weekend, De Maiziere said there was "no cause for concern" over the current security situation in Germany.

ksb/rc (AFP, Reuters)