A day after Shinzo Abe, Japan’s longest-serving Prime Minister was shot dead while campaigning for the upcoming elections, his body has been taken to Tokyo from Nara city in western Japan. The 67-year-old leader was shot twice by an ex-military man with a homemade gun. Abe died due to loss of blood after a bullet hit an artery under his collarbone, Japanese media house NHK reported, citing police officials. They said that the bullet went through Abe’s upper left arm and damaged a blood vessel under his collarbone.

Abe’s body was taken to his Tokyo residence on Saturday afternoon. His wife Akhi Abe accompanied the hearse. The former PM’s funeral will reportedly be held on July 12.

In a rare gesture, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, US President Joe Biden and Australian PM Anthony Albanese issued a joint statement on Saturday in which they recalled the key role Shinzo Abe played in setting up of the Quad and pushing for a free and open Indo-Pacific. PM Narendra Modi had earlier condoled Abe’s demise and declared national mourning on July 9.

A motorcade carrying the body of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe arrived at his home in the Japanese capital on Saturday, a day after he was assassinated by a lone gunman in a rare act of political violence that has shocked the country.

Mourners gathered at his residence and at the scene of Friday's attack in the western city of Nara, where Japan's longest-serving modern leader was gunned down while making a campaign speech, a murder decried by the political establishment as an attack on democracy itself. (Reuters)

Some observers who watched videos of the assassination on social media and television noted a lack of attention in the open space behind former Japanese PM Shinzo Abe as he spoke.

Second video shows the attempted assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe NOTE: Video not graphic, but viewer discretion is advised pic.twitter.com/BZNGHP78ds

A former Kyoto prefectural police investigator, Fumikazu Higuchi, said the footage suggested security was sparse at the event and insufficient for a former prime minister. “It is necessary to investigate why security allowed Yamagami to freely move and go behind Mr. Abe,” Higuchi told a Nippon TV talk show.

Experts also said Abe was more vulnerable standing on the ground level, instead of atop a campaign vehicle, which reportedly could not be arranged because his visit to Nara was hastily planned the day before. (AP)

Shinzo Abe died due to loss of blood after a bullet hit an artery under his collarbone, Japanese media house NHK reported, citing police officials. They said that the bullet went through Abe's upper left arm and damaged a blood vessel under his collarbone. The former Japanese PM was shot at close range, the report added.

The suspect in Japan ex-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's shooting will be transferred to the prosecutor's office on Sunday morning, Nara police told news agency Reuters.

The body of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who was shot dead in Nara city, was taken to his residence in the capital city of Tokyo. 

The vehicle carrying Abe's body left the hospital at around 6 am local time (2.30 am IST) on Saturday and arrived at his home in Tokyo's Shibuya district at around 1.30 pm local time (10 am IST), said Japanese media house NHK. The body was released after an autopsy. Abe's wife Akie, former Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide and Chief Cabinet Secretary Matsuno Hirokazu were present at the hospital in Nara city, the report added.

The Indian flag is being flown on half-mast at Red Fort in New Delhi as Prime Minister Narendra Modi has declared July 9 as the day of mourning following the assassination of Japan's former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. 

India mourns Shinzo Abe's assassination, national flag flies at half-mast Read @ANI Story |https://t.co/adwNo8VEkJ#IndianTricolour #ShinzoAbe #IndiaJapan pic.twitter.com/HblMXYKVbp

Japan is in mourning over the news of former PM Shinzo Abe's assassination. Embassies, government organisations and other state buildings are flying the state flag at half-mast as a sign of respect. 

Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, died on Friday (July 8) after he was shot in Nara, Japan, by a 41-year-old man identified as Tetsuya Yamagami.

Few details were immediately available on Yamagami, but he was previously in the Japanese navy, known as the Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force (JMSDF). Abe, Japan’s longest-serving PM, remained critical for a few hours after he was shot in his chest during a public event. This is the first time in around a hundred years that a sitting or former premier of Japan has been assassinated, according to a Reuters report. (Read more)

The body of Japan’s former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe returns to Tokyo after he was fatally shot during a speech Friday. (AP)

The hearse carrying former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s body arrived at his home in Tokyo on Saturday, local media reported. The hearse left a hospital in Nara early Saturday morning. pic.twitter.com/bbjTc58yGW

Authorities in Singapore have arrested a 45-year-old man for inciting violence by posting a comment on Facebook against Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, media reports said on Saturday.

The threat was found in the comments section of web portal Channel News Asia’s Facebook page on a post regarding the assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. After investigations, police were able to establish the identity of the Facebook user and was arrested, police said. A laptop, a tablet and four mobile phones were seized. (Read more)

In a rare gesture, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, US President Joe Biden and Australian PM Anthony Albanese issued a joint statement on Saturday paying rich tributes to Japanese leader Shinzo Abe and recalled his key role in setting up of the Quad and pushing for a free and open Indo-Pacific.

"We, the leaders of Australia, India, and the United States, are shocked at the tragic assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe," the joint statement of the leaders released here by the Ministry of External Affairs said. (PTI)

Hearse carrying slain Japan ex-PM Shinzo Abe has arrived in Tokyo, reported news agency AFP. 

Hearse carrying slain Japan ex-PM Shinzo Abe has arrived in Tokyo, reported news agency AFP. 

US President Joe Biden visited the Japanese embassy in Washington DC and signed a condolence book for former PM Shinzo Abe. 

Thank you @POTUS Biden for visiting the Embassy today to sign the book of condolence for former Prime Minister Abe. As we reflect on today's shocking tragedy together, we appreciate your commitment to stand by Japan, showing again the strength of our Alliance. -Ambassador Tomita pic.twitter.com/bONbbg2NWm

US President Joe Biden visited the Japanese ambassador's residence following former Japanese PM Shinzo Abe's killing as he penned a goodbye note to offer his condolences to the late PM pic.twitter.com/NM5AF01Vgo

Shinzo Abe — an outstanding leader of Japan, a towering global statesman, and a great champion of India-Japan friendship – is not among us anymore. Japan and the world have lost a great visionary. And, I have lost a dear friend.

I first met him in 2007, during my visit to Japan as the chief minister of Gujarat. Right from that first meeting, our friendship went beyond the trappings of office and the shackles of official protocol. (Read more)

Shocked citizens flocked to the site of Shinzo Abe's assassination after the former PM was shot dead in a busy street in Japan's Nara city. 

Japan on Saturday mourned the assassination of former prime minister Shinzo Abe, whose body was being moved to Tokyo from Nara where he was gunned down at close range on the campaign trail https://t.co/NwiIWUugHP ✍️@TomohiroOsaki in Nara & the @AFP team in Tokyo 📸 @fong_fifi pic.twitter.com/6xAHVSolvb

Former Japanese PM Shinzo Abe was one of the most consequential leaders of Japan in its post-war history. He was Japan’s longest-serving Prime Minister, staying in the post from 2006 to 2007, and then from 2012 to 2020. During his time in office, Abe was a great friend of India — a relationship that he invested personally in – and shared a special rapport with PM Narendra Modi.

When Abe announced his decision to step down in 2020, Modi had tweeted: “Pained to hear about your ill health, my dear friend… In recent years, with your wise leadership and personal commitment, the India-Japan partnership has become deeper and stronger than ever before. I wish and pray for your speedy recovery.” (Read more) 

Condolences poured in from across the globe after former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, one of this nation’s most powerful and influential figures, was shot dead during a campaign speech in Japan’s Nara on Friday.

The 67-year-old was airlifted to a hospital for emergency treatment but was not breathing and his heart had stopped. He was subsequently pronounced dead despite emergency treatment that included massive blood transfusions, hospital officials said. (Read more)

A motorcade thought to be carrying the body of the slain politician left the hospital early on Saturday, reported Reuters. It added that the former PM's body is expected to be taken to his Tokyo residence.

Japan mourns as body of assassinated former PM Shinzo Abe returns to Tokyo https://t.co/z9NVPnDQzb pic.twitter.com/THjn6isABc

Sabarmati Ashram in Gujarat shared some memories of Shinzo Abe's visit on September 13, 2017.

Shinzo Abe, then-Prime Minister of Japan, seen with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at New Delhi, on December 12, 2015. (Express Photo by Renuka Puri.)

Shinzo Abe comes from a political family. His grandfather Nobusuke Kishi was PM (1957-60), then his father Shintaro Abe was Foreign Minister (1982-86). He later became Japan’s longest-serving PM by consecutive days in office, overtaking the record of Eisaku Sato, his great-uncle, who served 2,798 days during 1964-72. Abe had first become the country’s PM in 2006, but resigned in 2007 due to illness. His second stint as PM began in 2012.

In his first stint in 2006-07, Abe visited India and addressed Parliament. During his second stint, he visited India thrice (January 2014, December 2015, September 2017) — the most visits by any Japanese PM.

He was the first Japanese PM to be Chief Guest at the Republic Day parade in 2014. This reflected his commitment towards an India relationship — he was being hosted by a government that would be facing elections in May 2014. As Japan’s leader, he was wooed both by the UPA under Dr Manmohan Singh and the NDA under Narendra Modi.