Three people, including two police officers, have been killed in a shooting and stabbing attack in rural Japan.
Police officers arrived at the scene after a passerby reported a disturbance in Nakano, in the central Japanese province of Nagano.
Witnesses told NHK public television that a woman fell while being chased by the suspect, who stabbed her and shot at two policemen.
“A woman came running from the street saying ‘help me’ and she fell down followed by the attacker who was holding a knife and then stabbed the woman in the back,” the man said.
Kyodo news agency reported that police described the attacker as a man wearing a hat, mask and sunglasses.
City officials have urged residents in the area to stay indoors. No other details about the suspect and his motives were immediately available.