Man arrested in Japan after throwing petrol bombs at ruling party's headquarters

A man was arrested in Tokyo after throwing several suspected petrol bombs at the ruling party headquarters Saturday morning, Japanese media said, just over a week before a general election.

Public broadcaster NHK said the five or six Molotov cocktail-like objects hit a riot police vehicle, but the fire was soon extinguished and no one was injured. Police were unable to immediately confirm the reports to AFP.

The man, believed to be in his 40s, also tried to drive his car into the grounds of the prime minister’s office but was blocked by a fence, NHK said.

He then reportedly tried to throw what appeared to be a smoke bomb but was stopped by police officers on the scene, who detained him.

The man was arrested on the spot on suspicion of obstructing public order, according to the reports citing police.

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The incident took place shortly before 6 am (2100 GMT Friday), the reports said.

Several polyethylene tanks were found in the man’s car, according to the Asahi Shimbun daily and other media outlets.

Japan will hold a general election on October 27 in a test for new Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, who took office after winning the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s leadership vote last month.

Violent crime is rare in Japan, which has strict gun control laws.

But the country was shaken in 2022 by the assassination of former prime minister Shinzo Abe, who was shot in broad daylight on the campaign trail by a man with a makeshift gun.

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