Taiwan: knife and Molotov cocktail attack in two metro stations, 4 dead

At least 4 people, including the attacker, died in the attacks on two railway stations Taipei Metro happened today. Five people were injured.Taiwanese Prime Minister Cho Jung-tai said the attacks on Taipei Central Station and Zhongshan Station were “a deliberate act”, although the motive was not immediately clear.

The city’s mayor said the suspect had apparently jumped from a building and that one of the victims died trying to stop the attack at the central station. “Unfortunately he was attacked and passed away… we are all deeply saddened,” Mayor Chiang Wan-an said. “The suspect apparently committed suicide by jumping from a building to evade arrest and has been confirmed dead,” he said.

Cho stated that the suspect was wearing a mask and it has threw “five or six Molotov cocktails or smoke bombs” against Taipei Metro Central Station. Authorities said they had stepped up security measures across the island in response to the attacks. “Currently, all major locations… including train stations, highways, subway stations and airports, maintain a high level of alert and vigilance.”

The images released by Taiwan’s Central News Agency show a container on the ground near the central stationwith officers examining potential evidence at the scene. A video posted on social media shows a thick cloud of white smoke covering an underground section of a subway station, with some people standing in the distance. President Lai Ching-te said that the Taiwanese authorities “will quickly clarify the details of the case. There will be no mercy and we will do everything possible to guarantee the safety of our citizens”.