TERRORISMTUNISIA
Tunisia: Attacker kills three at Jewish pilgrimage site
2 hours ago2 hours ago
The attacker was shot dead after he opened fire on people at an ancient synagogue during a pilgrimage. Some 10 people were also injured in the violence.
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A Tunisian naval guard killed three people at a synagogue during an annual Jewish pilgrimage late on Tuesday, Tunisia’s Interior Ministry said.
At least 10 people were also injured before security forces shot and killed the attacker who was trying to enter the religious building.
The Interior Ministry said it was investigating the “treacherous and cowardly attack” after cordoning off the site.
What we know about the attack so far
The perpetrator is believed to be a guard from a naval installation on the island of Djerba, which attracts Jews from Europe and Israel every year.
He is believed to have killed a colleague before taking his ammunition and opening fire on security personnel and visitors at the Ghriba synagogue.
The Foreign Ministry said that of the two visitors who were killed, one was French and one was Tunisian.
The almost 2,500-year-old Ghriba synagogue — believed to be the oldest in Africa — draws hundreds of visitors every year. Although Tunisia does not maintain ties with Israel, it does allow a number of visitors to come as part of organized trips to the island off its coast.
But the island maintains a high level of security following a previous attack by al-Qaida militants on the synagogue in 2002 that killed 21 people, including 14 Germans.
Tunisia’s last major attack was in 2020 when an explosion was set off outside the US embassy, killing one security officer.
ab/jsi (Reuters, AP, dpa)
