Five Islamic extremists on the verge of carrying out another terrorist attack on holidaymakers in Tunisia were yesterday shot dead.

The five men were killed by Tunisian special forces as thousands of Britons fled the North African country after a security alert.

Holiday companies started flying home 3,000 people yesterday after the Foreign Office warned that another ISIS attack was 'highly likely'.

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Five Islamic extremists on the verge of carrying out another terrorist attack on holidaymakers in Tunisia were yesterday shot dead. Pictured: Soldiers guarding the scene of the beach massacre in Sousse

The terrorists were shot dead in the town of El Katr, two weeks after the slaughter of 38 tourists in Sousse

The Evans family - (left to right) Ava, 14, mother Hazel, 37, Calvin, 12, Sandra, 45, Holly, 17, and Sherie, 23 - were flown back from their holiday in Tunisa today, along with hundreds of others

The Whitton family (parents Tony and Esther and daughter Natalie) who often travel to Tunisia and have made friends with locals, said they felt sorry for those who have lost their jobs as a result of the terror attacks

Security forces tracked down eight ISIS suspects believed to be about to launch another bloodthirsty attack on tourists, with five of the militants killed near the town of El Ktar.

The three others escaped and are still on the run, the Daily Mirror reported.

An intelligence source told the newspaper: 'Tunisian Special Forces acted swiftly as the evacuation got under way to stop them launching another attack.'

Despite the foiled attack - just two weeks after 38 tourists, 30 British, were slaughtered in Sousse - many of the holidaymakers flown home said they felt the government had overreacted.

Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond was forced to defend the decision, which he said was carefully considered and not a 'knee-jerk reaction'.

Some Britons on their way home said they felt safer in Tunisia than on home soil.

The first flight from Tunisia containing evacuated holidaymakers landed in Manchester yesterday afternoon

Long queues formed at check-in desks at Enfidha International airport, which is not far from Sousse

One young couple, with their 21-month-old son, told the Daily Mail: 'We were saying to each other that there is probably more of a chance of a terror attack at Manchester airport than here now.

'There are Army trucks and police everywhere in Sousse. We have felt completely safe.'

David Magliano, 52, managing director of membership at the Guardian newspaper, had his family holiday with pregnant wife Jo, 39, and sons Oliver, seven, and Hugo, two, cut short.

SCRAMBLE FOR CHEAP BREAKS Tour operators are being swamped by a scramble for holidays from 300,000 Britons who have lost trips to Tunisia. People have complained on social media about being kept waiting for hours to get through to helplines. And most of the holidays left in travel agents’ windows are more expensive than those to Tunisia where packages are relatively cheap. Thomson-First Choice and Thomas Cook have put on extra holidays to alternative destinations such as Spain, Turkey, the Algarve, Bulgaria and Cyprus. Britons who make independent plans to go to Tunisia have been warned the Foreign Office advice means their travel insurance will not be valid. Families have been complaining bitterly about the high price of replacement holidays on the Facebook pages of Thomas Cook and Thomson. Advertisement

'I do think it’s definitely giving in to terrorism,' he said.

'It’s like theatrical policing. It’s like having loads of police on the Underground. They are not likely to prevent anything.

'It just gives that superficial sense of reassurance.'

After landing at Heathrow this afternoon, he added that the impact would be ‘devastating’ for those working in Tunisia’s tourism industry, on which the country is heavily reliant.

He said: 'I feel bad, not for us having a holiday cut short by a couple of days – that’s not an issue – but the fact there are so many people directly employed by the tourism industry, or the taxi companies or in souks, it affects so many people.'

Tracey Caborn, 49, from Castleford, was mid-way through a break with her sister, Maureen and their mum Debbie, was angry on arrival back in the UK.

She said: 'I think they've acted irrationally. I'm very disappointed. I would have stayed. I never felt threatened at all. We had guards all round us. I think we've given in to the terrorists a bit. I'm mortified by it all.

'We would have all stayed. I think they've handled it disgracefully. There was security on the roof, on the beach, everywhere. It was fine.'

Clive Ryder, 44, an animal welfare officer from Gloucester, added: 'We're disappointed that our holiday has been cut short. There were a lot of people walking around with guns looking out for us and we felt safe.'

Families haul their suitcases onto an extra flight put on by Thomas Cook to evacuated tourists from Tunisia

ISIS gunman Seifeddine Rezgui seen calmly walking on Sousse beach carrying the gun he used to murder 30 British tourists

All 30 Britons killed by Rezgui last month were either Thomson or First Choice customers, and, as a result, the companies have no guests in Tunisia at the moment.

Following the Government's warning, Thomson and First Choice immediately cancelled all flights to Tunisia for the summer season.

They added that 'as a precautionary measure we have taken the decision to repatriate all British Thomson and First Choice staff currently working in Tunisia within the next 24 hours'.

Between 2,500-3,000 British tourists are believed to be in Tunisia and around 300 independent travellers.

The timing of the change could lead to questions over why tourists have been allowed to carry on travelling to Tunisia for two weeks since the attack.

Anyone due to travel to Tunisia with the two companies this summer will be given the opportunity to amend their holiday free of charge or receive a full refund.

Thomas Cook has confirmed that it had cancelled all bookings to Tunisia up until October 31.

In a statement published on the Foreign Office said: 'If you're in Tunisia and you don't have an essential need to remain you should leave by commercial means.

'Tour operators are arranging additional flights and will be organising departures for their customers. If you're travelling with a tour operator, you should contact your tour operator's representative in the first instance.

'If you're travelling independently, you should make your own arrangements to leave'

Thirty eight foreign tourists were killed in last month's terror attack, including 30 Britons.