A Tunisian soldier has been shot dead after he killed seven of his colleagues at a military base in Tunis, according to the defence ministry.

Ten other people were wounded, one seriously, in the attack at a flag-raising ceremony at the Bouchoucha barracks.

The man had family and behavioural issues and was not allowed to use weapons, officials said.

The authorities said they were not treating it as a terrorist incident.

Tunisian security forces have been on alert since Islamist gunmen attacked the Bardo Museum in March, killing 21 tourists.

The shooting at the barracks, which is close to the museum and the parliament building, prompted the evacuation of a nearby school.

Interior Ministry spokesman Mohamed Ali Aroui said on national radio that there was no gunfire outside the barracks.