The Tunisian presidency announced Sunday it would extend the state of emergency, which has been in force since January 2011, by eight months.

"The president of the republic decided to prolong the state of emergency in Tunisia until the end of June 2014," the presidential office informed in a statement.

The measure is expected to grant security forces extra powers of intervention in order to put an end to the rising string of violence that has recently hit the country, according to reports of Xinhua.

The announcement about the extension of the state of emergency came as the ruling Islamist party and the opposition failed to agree on a new Prime Minister by Saturday and the deadline was extended by Monday.

Political tensions have gripped Tunisia since the ouster of the country's leader, Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, in early 2011.

On Wednesday, the country was hit by two attempts at suicide attacks in coastal resort towns. Nobody was killed in the foiled attacks except for the suicide bomber.

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