Tourists stabbed near famed Acropolis in Athens, Greece

Athens, Greece — A man stabbed two tourists Tuesday morning near the ancient Acropolis in Athens, Greece’s top tourist attraction, police said.

The assailant attacked a man and woman, both Greek Americans, with a knife near the entrance of the Acropolis Museum, which lies at the foot of the Acropolis hill. The woman suffered light injuries to a leg, while the man was more seriously hurt with wounds to an arm, police said.

The attacker was detained, while the two victims were transported to a hospital by ambulance, authorities said.

The attacker’s identity wasn’t immediately clear, but police said he appeared to have been suffering from psychological problems.

The attack didn’t lead to any closure to the sites, which continued operating as usual. Greek media reported that the assailant had allegedly been randomly threatening passers-by with a knife, and that police had been alerted by a member of the public. 

Violent street attacks are rare in Greece. In April, authorities arrested an 89-year-old man who allegedly opened fire with a shotgun in a social security office and a courthouse in central Athens, wounding at least four people, reportedly over social security grievances.

The Acropolis hill in Athens hosts the nearly 2,500-year-old Parthenon temple as well as other monuments, and attracts millions of tourists. Last year, about 4.6 million people visited the site.