Bhubaneswar, Jul 8 (PTI) Describing Shinzo Abe as a "great friend of India", Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday expressed deep sorrow over the assasination of the former Japanese prime minister.

He prayed for the wellbeing of Abe's family and the people of Japan.

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Taking to Twitter, Patnaik said: “Deeply saddened to know about the assassination of former Japanese PM Shinzo Abe. He was a great friend of India & played a key

role in strengthening the Indo-Japan bond.”

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"My thoughts & prayers are with the bereaved family members & Japanese people in this hour of grief.”

Abe, 67, was shot from behind minutes after he started an election campaign speech at Nara in Japan. He was airlifted to a hospital for emergency treatment but was not breathing and his heart had stopped. He was later pronounced dead.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)