2 foreigners, guard said killed in Tunisia synagogue attack; naval officer fingered

The Tunisian Interior Ministry says two foreigners were killed when a naval officer opened fire toward a synagogue where hundreds of Jewish pilgrims were gathered Tuesday night, Tunisia’s Babnet news reports.

According to the report, the officer first turned his personal weapon on a colleague, killing him, before grabbing more bullets and running toward the heavily guarded El-Ghriba synagogue while firing wildly at Tunisian guards protecting the synagogue.

The gunman was shot dead by responding security units, the report says.

The report says one member of the security forces and two “visitors” were killed, and another five officers and four “visitors” were injured in the attack.

It is not clear if the visitors killed were attending the festivities at the synagogue; the ministry is quoted saying the synagogue was cordoned off and everyone there was safe.

The synagogue hosts an annual pilgrimage that draws Jews of Tunisian descent to the island of Djerba every spring.