International Desk (EFE).- At least three people, including the suspected attacker, were killed on Friday after a 27-year-old man carried out a grenade and knife attack in central Taipei, authorities said.
Several others were injured before the killer took his own life while fleeing police. Local media reported that the assailant died after jumping from a building as officers attempted to arrest him.
The attack began in and around Taipei Main Station, a major transportation hub in the Taiwanese capital.
Deadly attack in busy city center
One of the victims, a man in his 50s, died from cardiac arrest caused by the grenade attack, while a second victim, believed to be in his 30s, suffered a fatal stab wound to the neck.
Seven other people were injured, one of them seriously, according to emergency services.
Videos of the incident which circulated on social media, and verified by EFE, show a masked man wearing what appeared to be protective armor and carrying a knife, which he allegedly used to attack pedestrians at random.
The Taipei Fire Department said it received the first emergency call at 5:24 pm local time, reporting that gas grenades had been thrown inside Taipei Main Station.
Station disrupted, suspects flees scene
The smoke from the grenades forced trains passing through the station to skip stops until the platforms were cleared, authorities said.
After deploying the grenade, the suspect reportedly moved to a nearby commercial area, where he stabbed multiple people on the street.
Taipei Mayor Chiang Wan-an told reporters that the attacker, a Taiwanese man born in 1998, died shortly afterward by suicide after jumping from a store while being chased by police.
The suspect was identified as Chang Wen, who had an outstanding arrest warrant for evading mandatory military service, the mayor added.
Government vows security review
Following the attack, Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te said on Facebook that the government would “do everything possible to ensure public safety,” including strengthened security measures, and announced an investigation into the motives behind the incident.
Taiwanese Prime Minister Cho Jung-tai said he had instructed security forces to increase patrols and security checks at train stations and other major transit points across the territory.
Authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the attack and whether the suspect acted alone. EFE
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