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Ghriba synagogue bombing

SOLVED2002El Ghriba Synagogue, Djerba, Tunisia3 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026

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Illustrative

On 11 April 2002, a natural gas truck fitted with explosives was driven past security barriers at the El Ghriba Synagogue on the Tunisian island of Djerba, one of the oldest synagogues in Africa. The truck detonated at the front of the synagogue, killing 14 German tourists, three Tunisians, and two French nationals, and wounding more than 30 other people.

The explosion was initially described as an accident. As investigators from Tunisia, France, and Germany examined the scene, it became clear that the blast was a deliberate attack rather than an accidental gas explosion. The perpetrator was identified as a 24-year-old man named Niser bin Muhammad Nasr Nawar, who carried out the bombing as a suicide attacker with the assistance of a relative. Al-Qaeda later claimed responsibility for the attack, which was reportedly organized by Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and Saad bin Laden; however, Saad bin Laden's family denied his involvement.

In March 2003, five people were arrested in Spain in connection with the bombing. On 10 May 2006, two of them — Spanish businessman Enrique Cerda and Pakistani national Ahmed Rukhsar — were sentenced to five years in prison for collaborating with a terrorist group. Separately, in June 2003, a German man named Christian Ganczarski was arrested at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris in connection with the bombing. He was taken into custody as part of a joint intelligence operation associated with Alliance Base in Paris and was transferred to Fresnes Prison. In February 2009, Ganczarski was sentenced to 18 years in prison for his role in the attack.

The victims have been formally commemorated in Tunisia. On 11 April 2012, the tenth anniversary of the bombing, Tunisian President Moncef Marzouki, Tunisian Grand Rabbi Haim Bitan, the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Tunisia, and Boris Boillon, Ambassador of the French Republic to Tunisia, visited Djerba to pay their respects to the victims. Marzouki met with victims' families and delivered a speech condemning the attack and affirming the place of Tunisian Jews in Tunisian society.

Key facts

Victims
On file
Date
2002
Location
El Ghriba Synagogue, Djerba, Tunisia
Case status
solved

Case timeline

  1. 2002-04-11

    A natural gas truck fitted with explosives detonated at the El Ghriba Synagogue in Djerba, Tunisia, killing 19 people and wounding more than 30 others.

  2. 2003-03

    Five people were arrested in Spain in connection with the bombing.

  3. 2003-06

    Christian Ganczarski was arrested at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris in connection with the bombing and transferred to Fresnes Prison.

  4. 2006-05-10

    Enrique Cerda and Ahmed Rukhsar were sentenced to five years in prison in Spain for collaborating with a terrorist group in connection with the attack.

  5. 2009-02

    Christian Ganczarski was sentenced to 18 years in prison for the bombing.

  6. 2012-04-11

    Tunisian and foreign officials, including President Moncef Marzouki, visited Djerba to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the attack.

Best coverage

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People

  • Christian Ganczarski

    CONVICTED

    German national arrested in June 2003 in Paris; sentenced in February 2009 to 18 years in prison for his role in the bombing.

    citation on file

  • Niser bin Muhammad Nasr Nawar

    CHARGED

    Identified as the 24-year-old suicide bomber who drove the explosives-laden truck into the synagogue; died in the attack.

    citation on file

  • Enrique Cerda

    CONVICTED

    Spanish businessman sentenced on 10 May 2006 to five years in prison for collaborating with a terrorist group in connection with the bombing.

    citation on file

  • Ahmed Rukhsar

    CONVICTED

    Pakistani national sentenced on 10 May 2006 to five years in prison for collaborating with a terrorist group in connection with the bombing.

    citation on file

Places

El Ghriba Synagogue, Djerba, Tunisia

33.8139, 10.8592

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Common questions

What happened to the victim?
On 11 April 2002, a suicide bomber detonated an explosives-laden gas truck outside the ancient El Ghriba Synagogue on the Tunisian island of Djerba, killing 19 people — 14 German tourists, three Tunisians, and two French nationals — and wounding more than 30 others.
Where did the bombing happen?
El Ghriba Synagogue, Djerba, Tunisia.
Who was convicted?
Christian Ganczarski (German national arrested in June 2003 in Paris; sentenced in February 2009 to 18 years in prison for his role in the bombing.), Enrique Cerda (Spanish businessman sentenced on 10 May 2006 to five years in prison for collaborating with a terrorist group in connection with the bombing.), and Ahmed Rukhsar (Pakistani national sentenced on 10 May 2006 to five years in prison for collaborating with a terrorist group in connection with the bombing.).
What is the current status of the case?
Status: solved.

Sources

  1. Ghriba synagogue bombingwikipedia · Wikipedia · 2026-07-07
  2. Contemporaneous coverage — BBC Newsnews · BBC News · 2026-07-07
  3. Contemporaneous coverage — The Telegraphnews · The Telegraph · 2026-07-07
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