Tunis, Tunisia (RHC), -- In Tunisia, gunmen opened fire Wednesday at a leading museum in the capital, Tunis, killing at least 19 people, including 17 foreign tourists, authorities said.

Five "terrorists" carried out the attack on Bardo Museum, two of them were killed by security forces, Tunisia's Prime Minister Habib Essid said.

A later raid by security forces left two gunmen and one security officer dead but ended the standoff.

It was the first attack on a tourist site in years in Tunisia, a shaky young democracy that has struggled to keep Islamic extremist violence at bay.

The country has been more stable than other countries in the region, but has struggled with violence by Islamic extremists in recent years, including some linked to the Islamic State group.