With a terrorism-style explosion and a slash-neck attack, masked rioters have become more aggressive in attacking police officers in escalating violent incidents in Hong Kong.
The officer who was slashed in his neck by a rioter Sunday afternoon was still under treatment in the Intensive Care Unit, according to a Hong Kong police conference on Monday.
Kong Wing-cheung, Senior Superintendent of the Police Public Relations Branch said that the attack resulted in a 3-to-4-cm long wound in the officer's neck and damaged his jugular vein and nerve. A man was arrested on the charge of attempted murder, a crime could lead to life imprisonment.
The officer was attacked with a sharp knife at his neck at Kwun Tong metro station at about 5:30 p.m. local time Sunday. He was sent to hospital, with his neck bleeding but in conscious state.
The officer was not the only one injured. Given rampant violence, 12 police officers were injured during the past weekend, Kong said.
As the unrest in Hong Kong has entered the fifth month, there have been signs that mobsters are growing increasingly aggressive and cold-blooded in wounding police officers.
An improvised explosive device (IED), known as the homemade bomb, was used for the first time in Hong Kong against police officers on Sunday, according to the press conference.
An explosion occurred at about 8 p.m. on Nathan Road, Kowloon when police were clearing roadblocks set by rioters. Fortunately, no injury was reported. Suryanto Chin Chiu, a superintendent of explosive ordnance disposal bureau, said it was a remote-controlled, self-made high explosive, the same one used by terrorists all around the world.
Such explosives were intended to cause deaths or severe injuries to police officers at the scene, Suryanto said, stressing that the acts were highly dangerous and could cause serious casualties.
In their rampage on Sunday, masked thugs threw petrol bombs from a high ground targeting a police vehicle and setting it ablaze in Sha Tin. At busy market areas of Mong Kok, rioters assaulted a police officer, bludgeoning him and attempting to snatch his rifle. Over 20 fire bombs were hurled at the Mong Kok police station, setting off a huge blaze at its front.
Tang Ping-keung, deputy commissioner of police said rioters' violent attacks were aimed at taking people's lives and the evil acts were totally unacceptable.
Responding to fake news and slanders by rioters, Tang said the police will not waver but become more united and called on the public to support the police in law enforcement.
Hong Kong police arrested a total of 201 people involved in violent incidents from Friday to Sunday, as rioters wreaked havoc in various areas in Hong Kong, with vicious acts from cutting officer's neck to smashing stores.
The 146 males and 55 females under arrest were charged with illegal assembly, criminal damage, possession of offensive weapon and others.
The police also noted that more students have been participating in violent incidents. Of 33 people arrested on Sunday for trashing shops and banks in Kwai Chung Plaza of New Territories and Flora Plaza of Fanling, 24 were found to be students.
Kong called on students not to be instigated to commit illegal acts.
