Named for the first time, this is the man who allegedly ‘masterminded’ the terror attack on a Tunisian beach in which 38 people died. Chamseddine al-Sandi is said to have trained and instructed killer Seifeddine Rezgui, who slaughtered 30 British holidaymakers with an assault rifle as they sunbathed near Sousse in 2015.

He is named in confessions from suspects who were arrested in connection with the shootings. Seifeddine Rezgui opened fire on the beach and in the Imperial Hotel near Sousse in June 2015. Rezgui was killed at the scene, but the documents obtained by Panorama say that he was recruited and directed by al-Sandi.

A lawyer representing most of the victim’s families told Panorama that he was unaware of al-Sandi’s involvement and had not seen his picture before. Demetrius Danas, a lawyer for Irwin Mitchell, said:

“I have not seen that. If you are right, and the families see that, they will be shocked to see the face of the man who caused them so much sadness.”

The Panorama investigation also revealed what it called a “catalog of errors” by Tunisian police on the day of the attack.

According to the corporation’s Panorama program, al-Sandi is said to have run a militant cell responsible for both the Sousse massacre and an attack three months earlier at the Bardo National Museum in Tunis, in which 22 people died. Rezgui is said to have met members involved in the Bardo attack in cafes and mosques and trained alongside one of them at an ISIS camp in Libya.The

Tunisian authorities have issued warrants for his arrest in connection with both the Bardo and Sousse attacks, but the documents obtained by Panorama reveal the extent of his alleged involvement for the first time.