Explosives at the Prime Minister's Speech, like a conductor in a tube, an "iron pipe bomb"?

In an incident in which an explosive device was thrown just before a speech in Wakayama City, where Prime Minister Kishida visited to support the election on the 15th, the police confiscated a tube-shaped object that had been left at the scene without the explosion and examined it, and interviewed investigators revealed that something like a conductor was coming out from near the end of the cylinder. The police authorities believe that there is a possibility of an "iron pipe bomb" and are rushing to analyze the detailed structure.

At around 15:11 a.m. on the 1th, at Saikazaki Fishing Port in Wakayama City, just before Prime Minister Kishida began his speech in support of the by-election for the House of Representatives' Wakayama 1st district, a cylindrical explosive was thrown.

Prime Minister Kishida evacuated from the scene and was not injured, one police officer suffered a slight injury to his arm, and police arrested Ryuji Kimura (24) of Kawanishi City, Hyogo Prefecture, on the spot on suspicion of obstruction of business.

In response to the investigation, he said, "We will talk about everything after the lawyer comes."

According to investigators, two tube-shaped objects believed to be explosives were found at the scene, one of which exploded at a staggered time after being thrown, and the other did not explode and is believed to have been in possession of Kimura when he was arrested.

Both of them were believed to be made of metal and could be "iron pipe bombs," so when the police confiscated and examined the tubular objects that had been left at the scene without exploding, they found that what looked like wires were coming out from near both ends of the cylinders.

The "iron pipe bomb" is a mechanism that ignites a fuse extending outside the cylinder in order to detonate the gunpowder sealed inside the cylinder, and a person who was nearby at the time testified that the suspect made a move to set fire to a lighter.

On the other hand, since a detonation switch may be attached outside the cylinder, the police authorities are rushing to analyze the detailed structure of the explosive and whether it has lethal capacity.

Speeches are not frequently held at the site, and there is no "preliminary examination"

According to the National Police Agency, the venue for this speech was confirmed and examined by the Wakayama Prefectural Police after conducting an "actual inspection" of the site in advance, and received a report on the "Security and Security Plan" prepared in advance by the Prefectural Police.

In addition, there was plenty of time for the preparation and examination of the "Security Plan" this time.

In response to the shooting of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the National Police Agency (NPA) is conducting a "preliminary examination" in which the prefectural police and the National Police Agency jointly check the scene so that they can quickly proceed with the preparation of "security plans" for places where election speeches are frequently held.

However, the venue for this speech was not conducted in a "preliminary examination" because it was not a place where speeches were frequently held.

In addition, metal detectors may be used in the speech hall, but not this time.

Expert: "Major Challenges for Future Security"

Isao Itabashi, director of the Research Center of the Public Policy Research Council, who is an expert on counterterrorism, said, "The fact that the incumbent prime minister was targeted is a very serious incident," and pointed out that "it may be necessary to properly discuss the state of security in elections."

Mr. Itabashi said of the explosives, "As far as I can see from the video, it is a tube shape and smoke, so it may be an 'iron pipe bomb.' It will also be important in the future whether it was lethal or not."

Regarding the security posture at the site, he said, "I think that the fact that the Prime Minister was evacuated while immediately moving away from the thrown object and spreading the shield was a result of the training because his body was moving instantaneously. I pointed out.

"The targeting of the incumbent prime minister was a very serious incident, and what happened during the election campaign following former Prime Minister Abe once again highlighted the difficulty of security during an election campaign where an unspecified number of people are mixed. Strengthening security may affect election campaigns, making it extremely difficult for the police to make decisions. I think it is necessary to properly discuss the state of security in elections."