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Jordanian worker in Eilat attacks Israelis with hammer

Two Israeli employees at port in southern resort town hospitalized in serious condition with skull fractures • Suspect arrested, security forces probe possible motives for assault, including terrorism.

The southern Israeli resort city of Eilat in October 2015. Credit: Moshe Shai/Flash90.
The southern Israeli resort city of Eilat in October 2015. Credit: Moshe Shai/Flash90.

A Jordanian man employed at the Port of Eilat assaulted two of his co-workers with a hammer on Friday.

The two sustained serious wounds and were rushed to the Yoseftal Hospital in the southern resort town.

According to reports, the Jordanian, who was employed as a repairman at the port, used a heavy-duty hammer weighing more than two pounds to hit both Israelis in the head, fracturing their skulls.

A hospital official said the two were expected to be airlifted to a major hospital in central Israel for continued treatment.

Security officials scrambled to the port, where they arrested the suspect and transferred him to police custody. The police said the motive for the attack was unclear and all leads were being followed, including terrorism.

Some 1,500 Jordanians are employed at the Port of Eilat, mostly in the hospitality industry. The Jordanians cross the border into Israel every morning and return to Jordan at the end of the day.

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