Syrian Arab News Agency S A N A
Nara, Japan- Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is dead after being shot on Friday while delivering a stump speech in the western city of Nara two days ahead of a national election, a ruling party source said.
The police said that a Japan’s longest-serving leader was attacked by a 41-year-old man from behind at around 11:30 a.m. when he was speaking in front of Kintetsu Railway’s Yamato-Saidaiji Station, noting he fell to the ground and rushed to hospital.
The source added that Tetsuya Yamagami, a resident of Nara, was arrested at the scene on suspicion of attempted murder, as The suspect was formerly a member of the Maritime Self-Defense Force, according to government sources.
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The assailant’s motive is not fully known, the source said.
Abe, who was also the longtime leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, was in the city to support a candidate running in Sunday’s House of Councillors election and there was a crowd of people listening to his speech near the railway station when the attack occurred.
Nisreen Othman / Amer Dawa
KYODO NEWS
