http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/5312098.stm A gunman has opened fire on a group of foreign tourists in the Jordanian capital Amman, killing a British man. The shooting happened at the Roman amphitheatre, a popular attraction. Five other tourists were injured - two British women as well as tourists from New Zealand, the Netherlands and Australia. The gunman was arrested. Militants have carried out a series of attacks in Jordan. Sixty people were killed in three suicide bomb attacks on hotels in November 2005. Interior Minister Eid al-Fayez said the gunman had been arrested and was now being questioned. He said it was not clear yet whether the gunman was acting alone or was a member of any group. "We as a government and people... regret the incident and hope it is a one-off which will not affect our tourism or security situation," Mr Fayez said. 'Bleeding all over' The attack took place at 1230 local time (0930 GMT). Aftermath in pictures Eyewitnesses said the attacker, said to be a Jordanian, approached the tourists shouting "God is great" in Arabic before firing at least 12 shots at the small group of tourists. When his ammunition ran out, the gunman fled into the crowds before being arrested, eyewitnesses said. Briton Karen Sparke, who survived the attack, told the BBC that when she heard the gunfire she initially thought a firecracker had been let off. She then turned around and saw a man pointing a gun at the group. "I don't remember much about it," she said. "Just that I was shot and as I looked my other friends were on the floor laying down, and then I went up the steps a bit further and stood round the corner and then realised that I was bleeding all over." 'Callous' UK Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett said she was "extremely saddened" by news of the attack. "My sympathies are with the victims and their families. Acts of violence such as this are as senseless as they are callous," she said. The BBC's John Leyne, in Amman, says local people joined in the struggle to overpower the gunman. The area surrounding the Roman amphitheatre has been sealed off and anti-terrorist police are patrolling the site. British tourists visiting Jordan are warned by the UK Foreign Office of a "high threat of terrorism", with Westerners being a particular target. Jordan's tourist trade has been badly hit by reaction to the conflict in Lebanon, although tour operators say it remains popular with more adventurous travellers. The amphitheatre, cut into a steep hill in the centre of Amman, is the Jordanian capital's top tourist attraction.
This is what happens when people are manipulated by governments/churches and groups to feel that anyone outside of the group is worth less. I am saddened for Jordan and the victims.
