Stolen samurai-wielding swordsman targets Taiwan Presidential Office

TAIPEI - 18 August 2017: A man wielding a stolen samurai sword tried to break into Taiwan's presidential palace on Friday and wounded a military policeman who stopped him, the Presidential Office said.

The man stabbed the policeman in the shoulder, media reported. The attacker was taken into custody for questioning. The officer was in stable condition in hospital.

Brawls among legislators are fairly common in Taiwan, but potentially deadly political violence is rare.

The motive for the attempted break-in was not immediately known.