Tunisia, 4 dead and 5 injured in the attack on the synagogue of Djerba

A soldier shoots at the pilgrims, kills two Gendarmes and two Jewish pilgrims and then tries to enter the temple on the Tunisian island, but is shot down by the surveillance agents

A Tunisian naval guardsman shot and killed two colleagues and two civilians on Tuesday as he tried to reach a synagogue on the Mediterranean island of Djerba during the annual Jewish pilgrimage, the Tunis interior ministry said. The assailant was killed by security guards. At least ten people were injured.

The attack took place yesterday evening, while hundreds of believers took part in the annual Jewish pilgrimage of Ghriba which was ending on Tuesday evening in the synagogue.

In a statement, the Tunisian foreign minister said, of the dead the two were; a 30-year-old Tunisian and a 42-year-old Frenchman

By wednesday, the motive for the attack was still being investigated. Djerba, the island that has always been a tourist destination off the southern coast of Tunisia, is home to the main Jewish community of the North African country.

As the assailant arrived at the temple, he opened fire on the security units protecting the synagogue who returned fire, killing him before he reached the entrance.

In 2002, in a terrorist attack, Al Qaeda killed 19 people in the same place.

Since 2011, Tunisia has experienced a sharp increase in jihadist groups. 

The editorial staff