Two believers who took part in a Jewish pilgrimage on the island of Djerba, in eastern Tunisia, were killed on Tuesday evening in an attack by a police officer that also killed two colleagues, the interior ministry said.
Four people visiting Ghriba Synagogue were injured, as were five security forces officers. According to the ministry, the perpetrator of the attack was killed.
The faithful took part in a ritual at the Ghriba synagogue, the oldest in Africa, which was the target of a 2002 truck bomb attack that killed 21.
The police officer killed one of his colleagues and took his gun. He then made his way to the perimeter of the synagogue, where he opened fire on the security forces protecting the site, causing panic. Another officer died and five were injured.
The State Department said in a statement that the dead believers were “a 30-year-old Tunisian and a 42-year-old Frenchman.”
The attack came as hundreds of worshipers took part in the annual Jewish pilgrimage to Ghriba, which ended at the synagogue on Tuesday night.
Source: DN
