TUNIS: Tunisia’s government says it has deployed 100,000 security personnel to protect the country and prevent new attacks, including 3,000 dedicated to protecting beaches, hotels and archaeological sites.

The government is smarting from the British government’s decision this week to urge tourists to leave the North African country because of security fears. Most of those killed in a June 26 attack by an extremist on a beach resort were British tourists.

Government minister Kamel Jendoubi told reporters in Tunis on Saturday that his country understands the British move but regrets it too.

He said the number of security officers at tourist sites was doubled to 3,000, and more than 100,000 personnel from the police, national guard, civil protection agency and army are now involved in the government’s overall security efforts.

Authorities have arrested 127 suspected “terrorists” since last month’s massacre of tourists, Jendoubi said. “Since the attack, the security forces have carried out more than 700 operations resulting in the arrests of 127 suspected members of terrorist gangs.”

Jendoubi did not specify how many of the 127 people detained were being held for their suspected involvement in the beach attack.

He had earlier announced the arrest of eight people suspected of having direct links to it.

The minister stressed the government’s determination to protect “the country, citizens and nationals of foreign countries.”

The Port El Kantaoui attack was the second to target foreign tourists in just over three months. On March 18, 21 tourists and a policeman were killed in a gun attack on the National Bardo Museum in Tunis.