The proof terror gang drove Tunisian gunman to massacre beach: CCTV footage shows killer arriving in van minutes before he shot 30 Brits – as it emerges his 'lover' is among those held and 62 others are still on run 

  • ISIS dropped Seifeddine Rezgui off before killing 30 Brit tourists in Tunisia
  • CCTV shows him arrive in a van 300 yards from scene of Sousse massacre
  • It's believed he was part of an IS cell and 62 suspects are being hunted
  • Seven men and a woman believed to be gunman's lover have been arrested

This is the chilling moment Islamic State terrorists dropped gunman Seifeddine Rezgui off in a quiet side street, minutes before he murdered 30 British tourists in Tunisia.

The Mail on Sunday can reveal dramatic CCTV footage captured the 23-year-old fanatic arriving in a white van – 300 yards from the scene of the horrific massacre in Sousse.

A camera at a holiday rental apartment filmed Rezgui arriving as a passenger in the Peugeot Partner van at 11.12am on June 26.

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Dramatic: CCTV footage captured Seifeddine Rezgui arriving in a white van – 300 yards from the scene of the massacre in Sousse

Dramatic: CCTV footage captured Seifeddine Rezgui arriving in a white van – 300 yards from the scene of the massacre in Sousse

Massacre: Seifeddine Rezgui killed 38 holidaymakers and maimed dozens 40 minutes later after getting out of the van

Massacre: Seifeddine Rezgui killed 38 holidaymakers and maimed dozens 40 minutes later after getting out of the van

Dressed in a black T-shirt and shorts, he strolls away from the car and turns left, heading towards the beach with a parasol under his arm, under which he had hidden the Kalashnikov rifle he used to kill 38 holidaymakers and maim dozens 40 minutes later.

Police officers in Tunisia have launched a nationwide hunt for the vehicle and its occupants in the belief that it holds the key to Rezgui’s movements in the days leading up to the atrocity, which has seen thousands of British tourists evacuated from the country in recent days.

The emergence of the picture dispels the theory that Rezgui was a ‘lone wolf’ attacker when he rampaged through the Imperial Marhaba hotel in the resort of Port El Kantaoui, as well as early reports that he arrived on the beach alone by boat or jet ski.

Security services now believe he was part of a large IS cell operating in Tunisia and are hunting 62 suspected militants who conspired with him to plan and carry out the attack. 

Seven men and a woman – believed to be Rezgui’s lover – have been arrested and continue to be held in Tunis on suspicion of helping to orchestrate the brutal murders.

A police chief told The Mail on Sunday: ‘The car is a very significant part of the investigation and we are searching all of Tunisia for it.’ 

One theory is that the vehicle may have been driven across the border to Libya, but officers are said to be keeping an open mind about its whereabouts.

This newspaper has established that the CCTV image was captured by a camera at Residence El Olfa, a block of 12 holiday apartments usually rented by Algerian tourists. 

The owner of the flats, who declined to be named, said he was unaware the footage police had taken from his security cameras had captured Rezgui’s arrival on June 26.

When The Mail on Sunday visited the street, a plain-clothed Tunisian police officer pulled up in an unmarked car and ordered our reporters to move away, saying: ‘This is a crime scene.’

Two cars then pulled up with six Scotland Yard detectives inside who appeared to be given a ‘walk-through’ of Rezgui’s movements by the Tunisian officer as part of the British investigation into the attack. 

Larger operation: Security services believe he was part of an IS cell operating and are hunting 62 suspected militants

Larger operation: Security services believe he was part of an IS cell operating and are hunting 62 suspected militants

HARRIET HARMAN AT NO 10... FOR TERROR TALK

Labour's acting leader Harriet Harman will get to walk through the door of Number Ten next week – but only to attend a summit on tackling the Islamic terror threat.

Downing Street said that both Ms Harman and Labour’s defence spokesman Vernon Coaker will attend a National Security Council meeting, which is expected to be held on Tuesday. 

A Number Ten spokesman said: ‘The PM has invited Harriet Harman to attend next week’s National Security Council meeting, which will be discussing the threat posed by IS.

‘The PM thought it was important to ensure the Leader of the Opposition was fully briefed on the current situation. The Shadow Defence Secretary Vernon Coaker will also attend.’

It is unclear exactly what Rezgui did in the 40 minutes between being dropped off by the Peugeot and starting his shooting spree.

But he is thought to have made a ten-second telephone call on his mobile phone on the beach, before tossing the Samsung handset into the sea and beginning the attack.

One Tunisian intelligence official told this newspaper that the phone was salvaged from the sea and has been analysed by specialists who managed to uncover ‘a great deal’ of data evidence to help them map who’s who in the covert IS terror cell he belonged to.

Today hundreds of British families were flown out on four charter flights after the Foreign Office warned another attack was ‘highly likely’.

The UK Government’s much-criticised move – which places Tunisia in the same no-go category as war-torn Afghanistan – is understood to have come soon after a briefing to the National Security Council in London from the Scotland Yard team in Sousse.

Another 1,000 British holidaymakers are expected to leave Tunisia tomorrow, but some tourists and expats are planning to defy the Government’s warning.

Retired soldier Peter Stott, 72, who has lived with his wife Diane, 70, in Sousse for three years, said he will ignore the Foreign Office warnings and stay put.

He added: ‘Tunisia is no more dangerous than living in Britain. If I felt in danger then of course we would leave in a heartbeat but the fact is that we feel very safe here.’

And today Tory MP Crispin Blunt – chairman of the Commons foreign affairs committee – cast doubt on the Government’s warning by saying that he would still be prepared to take his family to Tunisia on holiday.

Former Minister Mr Blunt pointed out that it was also ‘dangerous in the UK’ and that other countries such as France had not taken the same action. 

He said: ‘On the basis of what I know now would I be prepared to go myself? Yes.’ That would include taking his family, Mr Blunt added.

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