The shots at a synagogue at Tunisia’s Island of Djerba claimed Tuesday the lives of five people including two visitors and three security forces.
The Interior ministry of the North African country in a statement said one security force stole the gun of his colleagues and shot him dead. He subsequently fired at some security forces and killed one and two civil visitors before being shot dead by another security officer.
Six other people including two civilians were wounded and transferred to hospital.
No one claimed responsibility for the attack.
The synagogue hosted, last week, thousands of tourists to mark the Jewish new year. Another three thousand are expected to arrive in the next few days, former Tourism Minister and Chief of the organizing committee of the pilgrimage René Trabelsi told the media.
The attack is the first ever to take place in the country this year. Tunisia since the revolution has witnessed a scourge of attacks that claimed lives of hundreds of people including foreign tourists. Worst attacks took place in 2015.