Tourist attacked by gunman in Jordan

A group of foreign tourists were attacked in the Roman Amphitheater in the Jordanian capital Amman by a Muslim gunman. A police officer and five tourists from the group were wounded and one is said to have possibly died, officials reported.

Photo: Tourist attacked by gunman in Jordan

Police overtook the gunman at the scene and arrested him, said government spokesman Nasser Judeh.

Preliminary reports suggested that one tourist died of his wounds, he said. But he noted that authorities were still checking the information, AP reports.

The official said the tourists, who were of different nationalities, were rushed to a nearby state hospital. He said he could not identify their nationalities at this time.

Judeh said the attack took place in broad daylight as the tourists visited the popular attraction in Amman's bustling downtown district.

An eyewitness said he said one of the tourists - who was part of a group of seven - died of his wounds at the scene.

The gunman, clean shaven and his mid-30s, surprised the tourists from the opposite side, wielding a gun and shouting the battle cry of Allahu akbar, or God is Great, before he fired several shots directly at them, said the eyewitness, Mohammad Jawad Ali, an Iraqi.

He said he spoke to one of the wounded tourists, who said she was from New Zealand. He said the woman told him that the man who died was British.

He said the attack took place at 12:30 p.m. (09:30 GMT).

No other details were immediately available.