A Swiss woman is among eight people who have been injured in a knife attack at a popular archaeological site in Jordan. The attacker has been arrested.
This content was published on
1 minute
RTS/jc
العربية
ar
ثمانية جرحى بينهم سائحة سويسرية في عملية طعن في الأردن
The country’s health ministry said the people injured were one Swiss and three Mexican tourists, and four Jordanians.
“Around noon, a man attacked tourists, a tour guide and a security officer, who tried to stop him in Jerash,” a spokesman for Jordan’s Public Security Directorate said in a statement. Jerash is a popular attraction some 50 km from the capital, Amman.
He said the assailant was immediately arrested and the wounded have been taken to hospital.
Police said the suspect was 22-year old Mohammad Abu Touaima who lived in a makeshift home on the edge of the city near a poor Palestinian refugee camp where unemployment was rife.
The Swiss foreign ministry confirmed that one Swiss national was among the injured, and was being assisted by Switzerland’s mission to Amman.
This is not the first time tourist sites have been targeted by attacks in Jordan. In December 2016, 10 people were killed in an attack at Kerak, some 120 km south of Amman. The Islamic State group claimed responsibility for that attack.
Jordan is known for its splendid archaeological sites, which include the ancient city of Petra, one of the Seven Wonders of the World. Tourism is one of the main sources of income for the country.
This content was published on
Nemo brought the Eurovision Song Contest to Switzerland with a victory on Saturday evening in Malmö, Sweden. It is Switzerland's third victory in the history of the music contest.
Switzerland abstains from vote on Palestinian bid for full UN membership
This content was published on
On Friday, Switzerland abstained from the vote at the General Assembly on granting the Palestinians new rights at the United Nations (UN).
Protein in abdominal fat could help shape obesity treatment
This content was published on
The study analysed fat cells from different locations in the body, and found that those in the abdomen have unique properties.
North African asylum claims fall after rapid Swiss processing
This content was published on
The accelerated procedure, now out of its test phase, has resulted in a significant drop in applications from North African countries.
This content was published on
The artist's song "The Code" focuses on their journey as a nonbinary individual. It is one of the favourites to win this year's contest.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.