This archive report was first published on 6 November 2019.
On November 6, 2019, a stabbing attack occurred at the Jerash archaeological site in northern Jordan, leaving at least eight people wounded, according to the authorities.
Four foreign tourists and four Jordanians, including a tour guide, a truck driver, and two police officers, were among the victims. The police officers, one of whom attempted to stop the attack, were among those wounded.
Three of the foreign victims were Mexican, and the other was Swiss. The police reported that one of the police officers and the Swiss tourist were in serious condition, while the others were in stable condition.
Jerash, a major tourist attraction in Jordan, contains one of the best-preserved provincial cities of the Roman Empire. The site, which lies about 20 miles north of the capital, Amman, has struggled to attract visitors in recent years due to its proximity to Syria, where civil war has driven millions of people into Jordan.
However, tourism has rebounded in the last two years, with over 300,000 people visiting Jerash in 2018, according to Jordan's Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities. Jordan is considered one of the safest nations in the Middle East, and attacks on foreign visitors there have been rare.
As of the time of the attack, the motive behind the stabbing remained unclear. The assailant was arrested, and the investigation is ongoing.
Reporting by Rana F. Sweis from Amman and Elian Peltier from London.
