The Tunisian parliament adopted a new anti-terror law overnight Friday aimed at beefing up powers to confront a Takfiri threat following deadly attacks but which has been slammed by rights groups.

The Tunisian parliament adopted a new anti-terror law overnight Friday aimed at beefing up powers to confront a Takfiri threat following deadly attacks but which has been slammed by rights groups as draconian.

The law was adopted after three days of debate by 174 members of parliament with ten abstentions and no votes against, AFP reported.

The president of the assembly, Mohamed Ennaceur welcomed the passing of the "law against terrorism and money laundering", calling it an "historic" moment.

"It's with pride we have arrived at this historic moment ... this law will reassure the citizens," Ennaceur said.

The new legislation comes after a gunman massacred 38 tourists on a Tunisian beach in an attack claimed by ISIL (so-called Islamic State in Iraq and Levant) on June 26.

In March an attack on the Bardo museum in the capital Tunis that was also claimed by ISIL left 21 tourists dead.

The law replaces legislation from 2003 which was adopted under the dictatorship of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and rights groups say was largely used to crush dissent, in particular then-banned Islamist party Ennahda, which today is one of the main players in Tunisian politics.

While the law was widely supported by both secular and Islamist parties, it has been strongly criticized by rights groups and NGOs.

"This law poses a real threat to rights and liberties in Tunisia," said Amna Guellali, the Human Rights Watch representative in Tunis.

Critics have condemned the fact the law brings back capital punishment for a number of offences, after a de facto quarter-century moratorium on executions.