Tunisia detains two people in connection with Djerba attack

Tunisian authorities have arrested two people, a woman and a man, on the Island of Djerba; the theater of an attack on a Jewish synagogue in which six people including the attacker have died.

The people, all of them Tunisians, in their twenties, were arrested by the National Guard forces on the Island as part of the investigations, Tunisie Numerique reported.

The two are reportedly close friends of the attacker who was a member of the security forces. Tuesday last week, a security officer of the National Guard on the island, gunned down a colleague and collected more ammunition and reportedly headed to the synagogue where there were thousands of tourists and pilgrims.

The security force faced resistance from other members of security at the entrance of the venue. The two sides reportedly traded fires in a shootout. The battle ended with the death of the attacking officer, another officer and two civilians.

Nine other people including four security forces were wounded in the gun battle. One of the injured officers died of his wounds Wednesday, a medical source indicated.

No one claimed responsibility for the attack. Tunisia since the 2011 revolution has witnessed a scourge of attacks that claimed lives of hundreds of people including foreign tourists. Worst attacks took place in 2015.