Tokyo: Nine Injured After Car Rams Pedestrians in ‘Terror Attack’

Nine people are hurt after a driver deliberately rammed his vehicle into pedestrians in the Shibuya Ward in Tokyo on New Year’s Day in what the suspect told law enforcement was an act of terror, according to Japanese media.

21-year-old Kazuhiro Kusakabe was reportedly arrested in Tokyo on suspicion of attempted murder after plowing his rental car, fitted with an Osaka license plate, into people on the Takeshita Street in the city’s Harajuku district, which was closed to vehicles for the first day of the year.

One unnamed source revealed to Kyodo News that the suspect told police that he “raised a terror attack” in “retaliation for an execution” and vowed not to “make any excuse” for it.

The Japanese news outlet stated in its report that is unclear to which execution the suspect was referring.

The Mirror UK reports the driver initially fled the scene of the incident and was captured by police 20 minutes later. Following the attack, one witness is quoted by the British newspaper, stating: “There are many police officers in place … running around to prevent entry.”

Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department has yet to issue a statement on the matter.