Three people were killed and nine injured in a knife attack in the capital, Taipei

Taiwan: Three people were killed and nine injured in a knife attack in the capital, Taipei.

Taiwanese Premier Cho Jung-tai said the 27-year-old suspect who set off smoke bombs at Taipei's main metro station then ran to another station in a busy shopping district, stabbing people along the way.

Cho added that the suspect, named by officials as Taiwanese national Chang Wen, later fell to his death from a high-rise building. His motive was unclear.

The attack took place during the city's evening rush hour at around 5:20 pm local time (09:20 GMT) on Friday. Videos shared on social media showed a man wearing a baseball cap and black clothing walking across a busy road, with people fleeing the scene in panic after seeing the smoke bombs.

He is then seen walking past several cars carrying a large knife. Cho said the suspect detonated smoke bombs and Molotov cocktails at Taipei Main Station, which is connected to a busy underground shopping street. The suspect then fled through an underground shopping center to the nearby Songshan Station, an 800-meter walk away.

After taking a detour to his hotel, where he grabbed a weapon, he ran to the street outside Zhongshan Station, set off more smoke bombs, and stabbed more people.

The attacker entered a nearby bookstore and department store, but fell from the building when surrounded by police. The attacker later died in hospital.

Cho said security has been beefed up at metro and railway stations and airports. Such attacks are rare in Taiwan, which has a low violent crime rate. The last similar incident in Taipei was in 2014, more than a decade ago.