At least five killed in attack near synagogue in Tunisia

By Eyad Kourdi and Hande Atay Alam, CNN

At least five people were killed in a shooting attack near a synagogue in Tunisia, Tunisian state news agency TAP reported on Wednesday, citing the country’s interior ministry.

The attack, which took place in Djerba, killed three security officers, one of whom died in hospital after sustaining a serious injury, the ministry said, according to TAP.

Two visitors, a 30-year-old Tunisian and a 42-year-old French national, were also among the victims of the shooting, the Tunisian foreign ministry said in a statement Wednesday.

The Israeli foreign ministry said the Tunisian citizen who was killed in the attack was a dual Israeli national. The ministry said it is “in contact with the family members of the deceased and is prepared to assist.”

France’s foreign ministry condemned the “heinous attack,” expressing its “concern and deep sadness”.

The identity of the shooter — who was killed by security forces — has not been made known so far.

The attack came amid an annual pilgrimage to the island of Djerba that draws hundreds of Jews from Europe and Israel, Reuters reported.

La Ghriba is Africa’s oldest synagogue, a revered and iconic location at the heart of the island, according to Reuters. It was built on the site of a Jewish temple that is believed to date back almost 1,900 years.

Authorities did not identify a motive for the attack but Islamist militants have previously targeted the pilgrimage in Djerba and have staged other attacks in the country, according to Reuters.

One of the most well-known attacks is the 2002 truck bombing by al Qaeda militants, which killed 21 Western tourists — prompting high security at the synagogue in the following years.

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Reuters contributed reporting.