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Tunisia: Attacker kills several at Jewish pilgrimage site

Published May 10, 2023last updated May 10, 2023

The attacker was shot dead after he opened fire on people at an ancient synagogue during a pilgrimage. Three died at the scene and two later from their injuries.

https://p.dw.com/p/4R7Fa
The Ghriba synagogue on the island of Djerba in Tunisia
The attacker was killed after opening fire on the Jewish holy siteImage: Imageslive/Zuma/picture alliance

Five people and the suspected shooter have died after a Tunisian naval guard is believed to have opened fire at a synagogue during an annual Jewish pilgrimage late on Tuesday, according to local media and Tunisia's government. 

Tunisia's Interior Ministry initially said that three people had been killed and another 10 injured in the "treacherous and cowardly attack."

Two cousins and a police officer were killed at the scene, and another police officer died of his injuries later in the hospital, according to the ministry. 

Meanwhile, Tunisia's TAP news agency reported later on Wednesday that a security guard wounded at the scene had also succumbed to his injuries, citing medical sources.

The suspect was also shot and killed at the scene. 

Authorities have not yet outlined a possible motive or commented on whether anyone else was thought to be involved. Israel's Foreign Ministry described the attack as a "lethal shooting incident," pointing to the ongoing Tunisian investigations. 

What we know about the attack

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 of the two Jewish cousins were killed, one a 42-year-old with French citizenship and the other a 30-year-old 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.

Around 1,800 Jews still live in Tunisia, the majority on Djerba, down from the 100,000 living there in the mid-20th century, according to the German DPA news agency.

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, msh/jsi (Reuters, AP, dpa)