Jordan tourist site shut after deadly attack, probe launched

Jordanian security forces patrol in front of Karak Castle in the central town of Karak, about 140 kilometers (87 miles) south of the capital Amman, in Jordan Monday, Dec. 19, 2016. Gunmen assaulted Jordanian police in a series of attacks Sunday, including at the Karak Crusader castle popular with tourists, killing seven officers, two local civilians and a woman visiting from Canada, officials said. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) (The Associated Press)

Karak Castle is seen in the central town of Karak, about 140 kilometers (87 miles) south of the capital Amman, in Jordan Monday, Dec. 19, 2016. Gunmen assaulted Jordanian police in a series of attacks Sunday, including at the Karak Crusader castle popular with tourists, officials said. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) (The Associated Press)

A man stands by shuttered shops opposite Karak Castle in the central town of Karak, about 140 kilometers (87 miles) south of the capital Amman, in Jordan Monday, Dec. 19, 2016. Gunmen assaulted Jordanian police in a series of attacks Sunday, including at the Karak Crusader castle popular with tourists, officials said. (AP Photo/Ben Curtis) (The Associated Press)

Jordanian troops with armored vehicles have blocked access to a popular tourist site — a Crusader castle — following attacks in the area that killed 10 people the previous day, including a Canadian visitor.

State-media said on Monday 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.