Two pilgrims and two agents of the security forces, as well as the attacker, died and around a dozen people were injured after a National Guard agent opened fire in the vicinity of the Ghriba synagogue, on the Tunisian island of Djerba (in the south), during the annual Jewish pilgrimage attended by thousands of people, reported the Ministry of the Interior.

“A guard from the Naval Center of the National Guard in the port of Aghir killed his partner using his service weapon and seizing his ammunition, then tried to reach the vicinity of the Ghriba temple and deliberately opened fire indiscriminately against the units of deployed in the place, which prevented him from accessing and killed him,” explained the Department. In addition, among the injured were six security agents with injuries of varying severity and one of them died hours later.. Four other civilians were taken to the nearest hospital.

The two deceased pilgrims were from the same family and had Israeli and French nationality, as confirmed by the foreign ministries of both countries.. Both victims were Aviel Haddad, 30 years old and originally from the city, and his cousin Benjamin Haddad, 42 years old and resident in France..

The Ministry of the Interior confirmed that the temple was cordoned off and the attendees protected themselves inside while the investigations continue to find out the reasons for this “treacherous and cowardly” attack..

In 2002 this synagogue, the oldest in the Maghreb region, suffered a jihadist attack claimed by the Al Qaeda group that killed 21 faithful.