Two killed in Tokyo gunfight

The shootout happened in Tokyo's Kojimachi business district

Two people have been killed and six injured after a gang of armed men burst into the office of a right-wing organisation in central Tokyo.

Around 15 gangsters, brandishing knives and blades, stormed the premises in the smart Kojimachi business district.

Photographers jostle for pictures of the scene

Reports suggested the gunfire appeared to come from those already in the office which belongs to Sofusha, a 17-year-old rightist organisation.

A police spokesman told the AFP news agency the fight was over a debt.

The dead were members of a gang affiliated to the "yakuza" crime syndicate Sumiyoshi-Gumi, he added.

The yakuza is the Japanese equivalent of Italy's mafia or China's triads.

Police said three Sofusha members were arrested on charges of possessing firearms.

One of the six wounded is in critical condition and two others are seriously injured.

Shootings are rare in Japan, which has strict gun laws and a relatively low crime rate.