NEW DELHI: Shinzo Abe, former Japanese prime minister, passed away on Friday. Among many other leaders, the chief minister of Delhi Arvind Kejriwal expressed his condolences, saying the "world had lost a great leader".

According to NHK public television, Abe, one of the most key and prominent figures in Japan, was shot and killed while giving a speech during a campaign in the west of the nation.

"Saddened to learn of the passing of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The world has lost a renowned leader.  May the soul of the departed rest in peace. Kejriwal said, "My thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends. The Delhi chief minister described the attack on Abe as "awful and regrettable" . At the scene of the assault, the local police detained the alleged shooter.

A few minutes into his lecture in Nara, Abe, 67, was shot in the back. According to media accounts, he was evacuated to a hospital for emergency care but was not breathing and his heart had stopped. He received emergency care, but was subsequently declared dead.

Earlier, Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida had condemned the attack in the “strongest terms” and said he was praying “from the depths” of his heart. The motive for the attack was not yet known, added Kishida, who cut short a campaign appearance in the northern prefecture of Yamagata and returned by helicopter to his official residence in the capital, Tokyo.

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