Taiwan: Knife attacker kills three after smoke bombing Taipei metro

At least three people have been killed and nine others injured as a knife-wielding attacker ‍went ‍on a ​rampage in the Taiwanese capital Taipei.

The 27-year-old suspect set off smoke bombs at Taipei’s main metro station, before running to another station in a busy shopping district, stabbing people along the way, Taiwanese Premier Cho Jung-tai said.

The suspect, named by officials as Taiwanese man Chang Wen, later died after falling from a multi-storey building, Cho added. His motive remains unclear.

Attacks of this kind are rare in Taiwan, which has low rates of violent crime. The last time a similar incident struck Taipei was more than a decade ago in 2014.

Friday’s attack took place at about 17:20 local time (09:20 GMT) during the city’s evening rush hour.

Videos shared on social media show people fleeing the scene in panic as an individual wearing a baseball cap and black clothing lobs smoke bombs across a busy road.

He can then be seen carrying a large knife as he walks past several cars.

Cho said the suspect had detonated smoke bombs and Molotov cocktails at Taipei’s Main Station, which is connected to a busy underground shopping street.

A man reportedly tried to stop the attacker but was struck with a blunt object and later died in hospital.

The suspect then fled through an underground shopping centre to the nearby Zhongshan Station, about a 800m walk away.

After a detour to his hotel, where he picked up a weapon, he ran back to the street outside Zhongshan Station and set off further smoke bombs. He also stabbed more people.

The attacker went into a nearby bookshop and department store, but fell from the building after police surrounded him. He died shortly after in hospital.

Cho said he had ordered increased security at metro and railway stations, as well as airports, in response to the attack.

“We will ‌investigate [the suspect’s] background and associated relationships to understand his motives and ‍determine ‌if there are other connected factors,” the Taiwanese premier was quoted by news agency Reuters as saying.

Taiwan’s President William Lai also promised a swift investigation.

The suspect had a criminal record and was wanted by the authorities, according to local media reports.

The last major incident of this kind, in 2014, saw a man kill four people on an underground train in Taipei, shocking people in Taiwan. The perpetrator of that attack was executed two years later.