Tunisia attacks: Gunman Seifeddine Rezgui's parents defend their son, claiming he was 'incapable' of shooting dead 38 people

In total 38 people died in the attack on a beach in Sousse

Gunman Seifeddine Rezgui killed 38 tourists at a beach resort in Sousse

The parents of the man who murdered scores of tourists on a Tunisian beach have defended their son and claimed he was incapable of such an attack.

Radhia Manai and Abdul-Hakim Regzui told Sky News their son Seifeddine Rezgui, 23, had been framed for the atrocity on a beach popular with tourists in Sousse, Tunisia, on 6 June.

In total, 38 people died in the attack, including 30 Britons. Regzui himself was shot dead by security forces. Footage captured of the moments before the attack show the electronics student stalking the beach with an AK-47 in his hands, with survivors describing how the gunman laughed as he opened fire on tourists.

But his mother insisted Regzui was not responsible. “They got to my son. They used him and they framed him for the crime,” she said.

"I can’t imagine he could carry out such an operation? He was carrying his weapon and was just walking. He didn’t fire it. I want to know who fired and then framed him," she said.

Regzui appears to have carefully concealed his intentions prior to the attack. He is believed to have travelled to Libya and trained with Islamic extremists – but Tunisian security forces confessed that the young student had never appeared on any of their watch lists.

"I can’t imagine he could carry out such an operation? He was carrying his weapon and was just walking. He didn’t fire it. I want to know who fired and then framed him," Mrs Regzui insisted.

His father described a normal boy, who liked football, dancing and reading, and wanted to better his situation through education.

Mr Regzui described a normal boy, who liked football, dancing and reading, and wanted to better his situation through education. "People say he spent two years training in Libya. How could he train in Libya? How was he able to do that? What about his university?

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"I say to the tourists: God bless those who died. And God bless my son. My son was not capable of this. Bad guys tricked him and God will give him what he deserves," Mr Regzui told Sky News.

The comments come after the Foreign Office urged all tourists to leave Tunisia on Thursday as more attacks were “highly likely”.

Some 3,000 tourists still in the country were airlifted out early on Friday as the FO’s warning places Tunisia in the same category as that of Afghanistan, Somalia and Iraq.