The explosion occurred Tuesday on the main avenue in Tunis. Tunisia`s Interior Ministry called the attack a "terrorist act," stating that about 22 pounds of explosives were used and that the blast involved either a backpack or explosive belt.
Witness Bassem Trifi, a human rights lawyer, described the explosion as "a catastrophic spectacle."
He said the explosion hit the driver`s side of the bus. "I saw at least five corpses on the ground," he told The Associated Press. "This was not an ordinary explosion."
The country`s president declared a month-long state of emergency following the attack.
The explosion comes amid a rash of terror unrest in Tunisia. Last week, authorities arrested a cell of Islamist militants who reportedly planned a major assault on hotels and security forces in the resort town of Sousse, a government official said. Sousse was the site of one of two major attacks claimed by Islamic State in Tunisia this year, when 38 foreigners were killed at a beach hotel in June. In March, gunmen killed tourists in an attack at the Bardo Museum in Tunis.
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