Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida was evacuated unhurt after a suspect threw what appeared to be a smoke bomb at an outdoor speech in western Japan on Saturday.
Kishida took cover after a loud explosion was heard while police subdued a man at the scene, Japanese media footage showed. A police officer suffered minor injuries in the incident, the Nikkei newspaper reported, citing Wakayama prefectural police.
“Police are investigating the details of the loud explosive sound at the previous speech venue,” Kishida said when he resumed his campaign speeches. “I am sorry for causing many people to be concerned. We are in the middle of an important election for our country. We must carry this on together.”
The incident echoed the assassination of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Japan’s longest-serving modern leader, who was shot with a homemade gun last July while campaigning for a parliamentary election. (Reuters)
