(CNN) At least five people were killed in a shooting attack near a synagogue in Tunis, the official Tunisian News Agency reported Wednesday, citing the Tunisian Ministry of Interior.
The ministry said the attack, which took place in Djerba, killed three security officers, one of whom died in hospital after being seriously injured.
The Tunisian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Wednesday that two visiting Tunisians, a 30-year-old and a 42-year-old Frenchman, were also among the shooting victims.
The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that the Tunisian citizen who was killed in the attack had dual Israeli citizenship. The ministry said it was “in contact with family members of the deceased and ready to provide assistance.”
The French Foreign Ministry condemned the “heinous attack”, expressing its “concern and deep sorrow”.
The identity of the shooter – who was killed by the security forces – has not been revealed yet.
The attack came in the middle annual pilgrimage To the island of Djerba, which attracts hundreds of Jews from Europe and Israel, according to Reuters.
La Gharbia is Africa’s oldest synagogue, a revered and iconic site in the heart of the island, according to Reuters. It was built on the site of a synagogue believed to be approximately 1,900 years old.
The authorities did not specify the motive behind the attack, but Islamist militants previously targeted the Hajj rituals in Djerba and launched other attacks in the country, according to Reuters.
One of the most famous attacks was the 2002 truck bombing carried out by al-Qaeda militants, which killed 21 Western tourists – leading to tight security at the synagogue in the following years.
Reuters contributed reporting.
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