AP —
A man stabbed and injured two tourists on Tuesday morning near Athens’ ancient Acropolis, Greece’s biggest tourist attraction, police said.
The gunman attacked a Greek-American man and a woman with a knife near the entrance to the Acropolis itself and on a pedestrian street near the entrance to the Acropolis Museum at the foot of the Acropolis hill. Police said the woman suffered minor injuries to her leg, and the man suffered serious injuries to his arm.
The suspect was arrested at the scene and the two victims were taken to the hospital by ambulance, authorities said. The identity of the assailant was not immediately known, but police said he appeared to be suffering from mental health problems.
The attack did not result in the site being shut down and operations continued as normal. Greek media reported that police received a report from a member of the public who believed the assailant was threatening random passersby with a knife.
Violent street attacks are rare in Greece. In April, authorities arrested an 89-year-old man on suspicion of firing a shotgun at a social security office and courthouse in central Athens, injuring at least four people. This is said to be due to complaints regarding social security.
Athens’ Acropolis Hill is home to the nearly 2,500-year-old Parthenon and other monuments, and is visited by millions of tourists. About 4.6 million people visited this place last year.
