Djerba attack invites attention to Islamists’ infiltration of security apparatus

Some people accuse Ennahda movement, the branch of the Muslim Brotherhood in Tunisia, of standing behind the latest attack on a synagogue in Djerba Island.

The attack, which took place on May 9, was carried out by a security element.

It revived debates about infiltration by terrorist groups of Tunisia’s security services.

Since the incident, Ennahda has been facing accusations of deliberately planting its elements in the security apparatus.

Those levelling this accusation against the movement say this had especially happened when Ennahda control Tunisia between 2011 and 2021.

The attack on the synagogue in Djerba left six people dead, including its perpetrator.

How the attack was carried out

The Tunisian Interior Ministry said the attack was carried out on two stages.

It explained that a guard belonging to the naval centre of the National Guard had killed his colleague, using his individual weapon and seized his ammunition.

The guard, it added, tried to reach the vicinity of el-Ghriba synagogue and fired indiscriminately at security men stationed at the place.

The ministry noted that the security men confronted the assailant and prevented him from reaching the synagogue by shooting him dead.

Infiltration

This is not the first time Ennahda has been accused of infiltrating Tunisian official institutions.

The movement is facing accusations of infiltrating the education sector by appointing teachers with fake educational certificates.

It also stands at the centre of accusations of fabricating the educational certificates of a large number of people with the aim of giving them jobs at government institutions when it ruled Tunisia.

Nevertheless, the infiltration of the security service remains the most dangerous in this regard.

This infiltration appears to have gone beyond Tunisia, involving the Muslim Brotherhood, in general.

In Egypt, there were fears that the Brotherhood had attempted to infiltrate security services when it rose to power in the populous Arab country after the 2011 uprising against longstanding president Hosni Mubarak.