School Stabbings In Japan

A man armed with a knife forced his way into a school in western Japan Friday and stabbed nearly a dozen children and teachers, police and media reports said.

A police spokesman said the stabbings occurred shortly after classes began at the elementary school in Osaka, in western Japan. He said the attacker, a 37-year-old man, injured at least 10 children.

The spokesman, who refused to give his name, said the severity of the victims' injuries was not immediately known.

He said the attacker was taken into custody.

Japan's state-run television network NHK reported that teachers were also injured in the attack. It said one of the children, a first grader, was seriously injured.

NHK said the others were taken to three local hospitals or at the scene, where several ambulances and police cars remained an hour after the attack.

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