Tunisia: Funeral for officer killed in synagogue attack

The flag-draped casket of one of two Tunisian police officers, killed in the resort island of Djerba, is carried by mourners during his funeral in Tunis, on May 11, 2023.   -  
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SOFIENE HAMDAOUI/AFP or licensors

Mourners in Tunis, carried Thursday (May 11) the coffin of a Tunisian member of the anti-terrorist brigade member who was killed Tuesday (May 9).

Officer Mohamed Abdelmajid Atigue died in a shooting by a gendarme near a synagogue on the island of Djerba.

Tunisia's Interior Minister praised Thursday the work of those he called 'heroes' who managed to "control the situation... in less than 112 seconds" following the attack.

The gunman killed two Jewish pilgrims and three members of Tunisia's security forces; injuring several others.

He was himself killed before he could enter the place of worship.

On Wednesday Tunisian authorities opened an investigation into the shooting attack.

The motives of the killer remain unclear.

According to the chair of the synagogue's committee, the pilgrimage attracted more people this year than it had for some time. Some 6,000 from France, the United States, Canada, Australia and beyond participated.

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