The government announced more than 40 people were wounded, with Health Minister Said Aidi saying they included citizens of France, South Africa, Poland, Italy and Japan.
– Global condemnation –
The attack appeared to be the worst on foreigners in Tunisia since an Al-Qaeda suicide bombing of a synagogue killed 21 people on the island of Djerba in 2002.
It sparked outrage, with hundreds of people gathering later in a major thoroughfare of the capital, singing the national anthem and shouting slogans against the attackers, labelling them terrorists.
The assault also drew strong condemnation from world leaders.
US Secretary of State John Kerry denounced the “wanton violence” while British Prime Minister David Cameron said he was “appalled” by the attack and French President Francois Hollande expressed “solidarity” with the country.
United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon slammed the “deplorable” and “heinous” act and conveyed his “deepest sympathies” to the families of the victims.
Meanwhile the UN Security Council stressed that “no terrorist attack can reverse the path of Tunisia towards democracy”.
US First Lady Michelle Obama, speaking on behalf of herself and her husband during a visit to Tokyo Thursday, said: “Our hearts go out to the loved ones of those who were lost here in Japan and around the world.”
– ‘Run! Run!’ –
There was no claim of responsibility, but Tunisia has struggled to tackle a rise in attacks from Islamist extremists.
Interior ministry spokesman Mohamed Ali Aroui told reporters “two or more terrorists armed with Kalashnikovs” had targeted the museum, where about 100 tourists had been inside.
“Anti-terrorist units” had entered the museum and, about four hours after the incident began, declared that “the operation is over”.
Museum employee Dhouha Belhaj Alaya said she heard “intense gunfire” around noon.
“My co-workers were screaming ‘Run! Run! Shots are being fired!’” she told AFP. “We escaped out the back door with co-workers and some tourists.”
French tourist Fabienne recounted how she and others hid in one of the museum’s galleries along with their guide.
“We couldn’t see anything, but there must have been a lot of them. We were afraid that, at any moment, they would come kill us,” she told France’s BFM television.
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