Work was suspended at nearby parliament during the attack.
– Jihadists coming home –
Tunisia has seen an upsurge in Islamist extremism since the 2011 revolution that ousted longtime strongman Zine El Abidine Ben Ali.
Dozens of police and military personnel have been killed or wounded in attacks blamed on Islamist militants.
An army offensive against the jihadists, who are linked to Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, has been under way since 2012 but the ground and air campaign has failed to eliminate them.
The country is also fighting against the radicalisation of Muslim youth. Authorities say as many as 3,000 Tunisians have gone to Iraq, Syria and neighbouring Libya to fight in jihadist ranks, including with the Islamic State group.
Some 500 jihadists are believed to have since returned home.
Essebsi said the “top priority” for the government, which took office last month after Tunisia’s first free elections, is “providing security and the battle against terrorism”.
Tunisia kicked off the Arab Spring and has taken pride in forming a democratic government and achieving stability — in marked contrast to neighbours such as Egypt and Libya.
It is hoping to rebuild its once-burgeoning tourism industry, which is struggling to recover from the effects of the revolution.
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