Tunisian synagogue attack claims fourth victim

A security officer injured in last night's attack near the synagogue on the Tunisian island of Djerba (south) died on Wednesday, bringing to four the number of victims, two pilgrims of Israeli and French nationality and a second officer, in addition to the attacker who was killed.

During the attack, which was carried out at 7.30 p.m. by a Tunisian officer and for which the motives are unknown, ten people were injured, including four civilians and six officers, including the victim.

Tunisia: Shots fired at El Ghriba synagogue in Djerba, where hundreds of Israelis and Jews were at the time pic.twitter.com/4DlYvkQfpf

— Amichai Stein (@AmichaiStein1) May 9, 2023

According to preliminary investigations, the attacker was an off-duty National Guard officer who killed his colleague before taking his uniform, his service weapon and ammunition.

Shortly afterwards, he went to the temple, about 20 kilometres away where the last day of the Jewish Ghriba pilgrimage, attended by thousands of people, was being held, and opened fire indiscriminately on the security units protecting the building and was shot dead, the Interior Ministry said, describing the attack as "treacherous and cowardly".

#BREAKING: Attack near a synagogue in Djerba #Tunisia has killed 2 policeman and 2 Jewish visitors; 5-6 policeman and 4 other visitors were wounded pic.twitter.com/Vy5UHeJbxF

— Amichai Stein (@AmichaiStein1) May 9, 2023

In an interview with local radio station Mosaïque FM, the former Minister of Tourism and member of the organising committee of the pilgrimage, René Trabelsi, assured that most of the attendees had left the place before the attack, while those present were protected inside.

He also revealed that the attacker was wearing a bulletproof vest, which complicated his "neutralisation".

In 2002, this synagogue, the oldest in the Maghreb region, suffered a Jihadist attack claimed by the al-Qaeda group that killed 21 worshippers.