Jordan tourist site shut after deadly attack, probe launched

KARAK, Jordan — Jordanian troops with armored vehicles are blocking access to a popular tourist site — a Crusader castle — following attacks in the area that killed 10 people yesterday, including a Canadian visitor.

State-media says today that Jordan launched an investigation into the shootings, among the bloodiest attacks in recent years.

The attack was also the latest in a series of assaults over the past year that challenged the pro-Western kingdom’s claim to be an oasis of calm in a region increasingly threatened by Islamic extremists.

Canadian officials identified the slain tourist as Linda Vatcher.

The attack was likely to further harm Jordan’s battered tourism industry, on the decline since militants from the Islamic State group seized control of parts of neighboring Iraq and Syria two years ago.

— AP