In a major incident, former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was shot at in the western Japan city of Nara on Friday on the stage while delivering speech ahead of election .

Abe who collapsed after apparently being shot in the chest while delivering a speech in Nara City on Friday has been rushed to hospital where he is reported to be in “cardiopulmonary arrest.”

Reacting over the same, Japanese Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida said, “It is barbaric and malicious and it cannot be tolerated. We will do everything we can… At this moment, doctors are working very hard to save Mr Abe.”

He also said that such incidents will not be tolerated. “All the ministers should be called at Tokyo.  We don’t have complete information about the attacker,” said Japanese PM adding that Abe’s condition is critical but we hope he will recover soon.

As per local media reports, PM Abe became unconscious after he was attacked by a man from behind while he was making a stump speech on a street in Nara. Police has arrested the man who attacked Abe at around 11.30 am.

According to initial reports from Japanese public broadcaster, NHK, Shinzo Abe may have been possibly shot in the chest. A local reporter on-site heard something that sounded like a gunshot. According to some media reports, Abe was seen bleeding while being driven to the hospital.

As per Kyodo News, Japan’s leading news agency, citing local authorities reported that PM Abe was unconscious and appeared to be showing no vital signs.

Abe was attacked by a man from behind while he was making a stump speech on a street in Nara. Police has seized the man who attacked Abe at around 11.30 am, The Japan Times reported.
National broadcaster NHK said a man in his 40s had been arrested for attempted murder and a gun had been confiscated from him, citing police sources.

Abe Shinzo, a Japanese politician, became prime minister of Japan twice, from 2006-07 and again from 2012-20.

“Former Prime Minister Abe was shot at around 11:30 am in Nara. One man, believed to be the shooter, has been taken into custody. The condition of former prime minister Abe is currently unknown,” chief cabinet secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told reporters.

The former leader had been delivering a stump speech at an event ahead of Sunday’s upper house elections when the apparent sound of gunshots was heard, NHK and the Kyodo news agency said.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken voiced alarm and sadness on Friday after the shooting of Japan’s former prime minister, and a longtime ally of Washington.

“This is a very, very sad moment,” Blinken told reporters at a G20 meeting in Bali, saying the United States was “deeply saddened and deeply concerned”.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also showed concern over the attack.

According to Kyodo News, Shinzo Abe shooting suspect is ex-member of Self-Defense Forces.

Former Congress President Rahul Gandhi also tweeted.