.Gunmen have carried out a terrorist attack at holiday destination of Sousse
.Militants, thought to be from ISIS, exchanged gunfire with security services
.Gunmen have killed at least 27 people in the attack on a tourist beach
.Local media have reported those killed were mostly British and German
.Attack comes just hours after a man was decapitated near Lyon, in France
.Are you in Sousse? Email news@mailonline.co.uk or ring 00442036151926
Gunmen have killed at least 27 people in an attack on two hotels at a popular holiday destination in Tunisia.
Militants, feared to be from ISIS, exchanged gunfire with security services on a beach packed with British holidaymakers.
The attack took place at the Al-Qantawi resort in the city of Sousse, around 140 kilometres south of the capital Tunis on the Mediterranean coast.
Local media have reported that those killed were mostly German and British tourists.
The body of one gunman lay at the scene with a Kalashnikov assault rifle after he was shot in an exchange of gunfire with police, it has been reported.
This picture shows the body of a western holidaymaker lying dead on the beach in Sousse - empty sun loungers can be seen behind him after people fled the area
This picture shows dead bodies on the beach following the attack on the beach today
An officer speaks on his phone as he walks past the dead body of one of the gunmen on the ground
Police stand over one of the gunmen after the attack in the popular tourist destination today
The hotels attacked are understood to be the Imperial Marhaba and the Soviva.
British tourist Gary Pine told Sky News said: 'We thought fire crackers were going off but you could see quite quickly what was going on.
'There was a mass exodus off the beach. My son was in the sea at the time and myself and my wife were shouting at him to get out and as he ran up he said I've just saw someone get shot.
'One attacker opened fire with a Kalashnikov on tourists and Tunisians on the beach of the hotel', said a hotel worker at the site.
'It was just one attacker. He was a young guy dressed in shorts like he was a tourist himself.'
Elizabeth O'Brien, an Irish woman on holiday with her two sons in the resort, described how she grabbed her children and ran for their lives when they heard gunfire erupting from one of the hotels.
Shesaid: 'We were on the beach. My sons were in the sea and I just got out of the sea.
'It was about 12 o'clock and I just looked up about 500 metres from me and I saw a (hot air) balloon collapse down, then rapid firing, then I saw two of the people who were going to go up in the balloon start to run towards me - because I thought it was fireworks.
'So, I thought "oh my God, it sounds like gunfire", so I just ran to the sea to my children and grabbed our things and as I was running towards the hotel.
'The waiters and the security on the beach started saying "run, run run!" and we just ran to our room, which is like a little bungalow. So we are actually trapped in our room.'
Armed police stand over the body of a victim shot dead on the beach by Islamist gunmen in Tunisia
Tunisian troops stand guard outside the hotel in an armoured car after the terror attack
The British Government's emergency Cobra committee will meet this afternoon following the attack in Tunisia and another one in France where a man was decapitated at a gas factory by terrorists carrying Islamist banners.
Prime Minister David offered 'our solidarity in fighting this evil of terrorism'.
He added: 'Our hearts go out to the victims of appalling terrorist acts in France and Tunisia.'
Susan Rickett, who was staying at the Palm Marina Hotel near Sousse, said: 'My sister was talking to someone who had seen some people shooting and had shot someone on a sun bed but we don't know if that's true.
'It sounded like a machine gun going off... and there was a kind of explosion a little bit later.
'They're saying its going on in the hotel next to us. Police were chasing some men, that's all I know.'
Rebecca Miles, a British tourist who was staying at the Royal Kenz hotel with her boyfriend Dean Anderson, 24, told MailOnline: 'We were told to go back to our rooms because there were reports of a bomb.
'It happened about half an hour ago – I heard a bang and I thought it was thunder but it was a clear sky so it obviously wasn't.
'I heard sirens going off about 20 minutes ago and everyone came running back from the private hotel beach which is about 400 metres from the hotel. Everyone is a bit clueless about what is happening.
'People are anxious because they don't really know what is happening and we are now stuck in our rooms. There have been deaths apparently.'
British holidaymaker Rebecca Miles, who is staying in the Royal Kenz hotel in Sousse (pictured) said tourists have been told to return to their rooms after the attack on the private beach of the hotel
A holidaymaker John Yeoman has barricaded himself inside his hotel room in Sousse (pictured)
David Schofield said: 'We heard quite a large explosion...People are running around the hotel. No-one has really been told what to do.'
The Foreign Office said it is aware of the reports and is looking into them.
In a statement, Thomas Cook said: 'Thomas Cook has been advised of an incident that occurred earlier today in Sousse, Tunisia.
'At this time, details are not clear as to which property(ies) have been affected, with conflicting news reports.
'We are currently gathering information and will provide an update as soon as possible. Our teams on the ground are offering every support to our customers and their families in the area.
'We will continue to monitor the situation, working closely with the FCO and local authorities.'
Holiday brands Thomson and First Choice said they were 'aware of a suspected terrorist incident in Tunisia'.
They added: 'We are working closely with our teams in Tunisia and the relevant authorities to determine exactly what has happened and provide assistance to those affected.
'More information will be released as it becomes available.'
This morning's news follows a similar attack in March, when three terrorists attacked the Bardo National Museum in the Tunisian capital city of Tunis, and took hostages.
Twenty-one people, mostly European tourists, were killed at the scene, while an additional victim died ten days later.
This picture shows the empty beach following the attack which has left 27 people, mainly tourists, dead
The terrorist attack happened in the popular holiday destination of Sousse in the north of Tunisia
It has been reported that the attack happened on the private beach of the Royal Kenz Hotel, which is situated 400 metres away
ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack, the deadliest involving foreigners in Tunisia since a 2002 suicide bombing on the island of Djerba.
The attack comes just hours after a man was decapitated and dozens more injured at a gas product factory in France by terrorists carrying Islamist banners.
The attack took place at the headquarters of the American owned Air Products, in Saint-Quentin-Fallavier, near the city of Lyon, in the south east of the country.
The murder is believed to have been accompanied by several explosions on the site cause by a terrorist igniting small 'gas bombs' that injured dozens of factory workers.
It is believed the explosions may have intended to blow up the entire factory site but failed.
The murdered man's head is understood to have been found 30 feet away from his body, hanging on the factory's fence.
The dead man's head was covered in Arabic 'inscriptions' before being placed on the fence, according to local journalists at the scene.
A 30-year-old man - named by French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve as Yacine Sali who is understood to have been known to security services since at least 2006 - has already been arrested at the scene, telling police officers that he is a member of the Islamic State terror group.
The man is believed not to have a criminal record but was considered to have 'possibly been radicalised'.
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