Denmark urges Danish tourists to leave Tunisia

The Danish government on Friday advised its nationals in Tunisia to leave the country saying there was a "high risk" of another terror attack, one day after Britain issued a similar warning.

"If you are in Tunisia and do not have essential reasons for being there, you are advised to leave," the Danish foreign ministry said in updated travel advice published on its website.

"There is a high risk of terrorist attacks against Western targets in Tunisia and at tourist attractions, public buildings, near security agencies and in places where large crowds are gathered," it said.

Nearly all Nordic holiday operators had cancelled their trips to the country in the second half of the year, the ministry said.

The Scandinavian country advised against all travel to the areas bordering Algeria and Libya.

On its website, the Danish foreign ministry said that as well as facing an increased general risk, Danes and Danish interests abroad could be specific targets for attacks and kidnappings.

Quoting a report by PET, the country's security and intelligence agency, it said Denmark's support for the international campaign against the Islamic State group in Iraq "could lead to an increased terror threat against Denmark and Danish interests abroad from Islamic militants and their supporters". 

Britain on Thursday also urged its nationals to leave the country, warning that local authorities could not provide "adequate protection" after last month's beach massacre.

Tunisia has brought in a raft of new security measures, including arming tourist police, since a gunman killed 38 foreign holidaymakers, 30 of them Britons, at the beach resort of Port El Kantaoui on 26 June.

On Saturday, the government declared a state of emergency for 30 days.

Finland on Friday also amended its travel recommendation for Tunisia to highlight "heightened risk for new terror attacks against tourists".

"The authorities are unable to secure the tourist areas' safety adequately," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said, but stopped short of urging tourists to leave.