Deadly shooting near synagogue on Tunisia’s Djerba island
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A guard killed his companion, then opened fire on patrons and security personnel close to the synagogue before being slain himself, as per the Interior Ministry
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Visitors arrive at Ghriba synagogue in Djerba, Tunisia, in 2022 (Reuters)
A shooting near the oldest synagogue in Africa claimed the lives of two tourists and two security personnel on the Tunisian island of Djerba.
A guard killed his companion, then opened fire on patrons and security personnel close to the synagogue.
The attacker was then killed by security personnel, as per the Interior Ministry. The injured include four civilians and six members of the security forces, it added.
A French national is among the victims. Five members of the security forces and four additional guests all sustained injuries.
In a statement, the Ministry confirmed that "the temple has been cordoned off and…all those inside and outside the temple have been secured, and research is continuing to find out the reasons for this treacherous and cowardly attack.”
In 2015, gunmen attacked a Tunis museum and seaside resort, killing dozens of foreign visitors.
An officer was murdered in an explosion that targeted police outside the US embassy in 2020, which was Tunisia's most recent severe security event. In 2019, two suicide bombings struck police outside the French embassy, killing one officer in each.
