A member of Tunisia’s ruling secular party escaped an assassination attempt yesterday when a gunman riddled his car with automatic rifle fire from a passing vehicle.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the shooting but Tunisia is caught up in a growing battle against Islamist militants who have carried out two attacks this year and in 2013 assassinated two opposition leaders.

“They attacked me from another car. He was just one gunman who fired eight bullets at me with a rifle as I was on my way into Sousse,” said Ridha Chareffedine, who represents the main secular Nidaa Tounes party.

The interior ministry said authorities were closing off routes out of Sousse, a beach town where in June an Islamist gunman massacred 38 foreign tourists as they lay on the beach and around the hotel and pool.

“Our troops are out in force to stop this gunman and his vehicle,” Interior Minister security chief Rafik Chelli said.

Last week authorities lifted a state of emergency imposed across Tunisia after the June attack in Sousse.

Hundreds have been arrested since the attack. But despite the crackdown, two men on a motorbike opened fire on policemen in Sousse in August, killing one and wounding two others.