Knife-wielding attacker kills 2, injures 18 in China

The attacker's father said his son has a history of mental illness, according to reports

A knife-wielding man, believed to be mentally ill, killed two persons and injured 18 others in China's Guizhou Province, the latest such attack in the country.

The attacker, aged 30, is in police custody after the assault and the case is under investigation.

Twenty injured people were rushed to the hospital, but two later died, state-run Xinhua news agency reported on Monday.

The attacker's father said his son has a history of mental illness, the report said.

Violent crime is rare in China compared with many other countries, but there have been a series of knife and axe attacks in recent years, many targeting children.

In January, a man wounded 11 children with a blade at their kindergarten in the Guangxi region. Seven children were wounded in a November attack by a man with a knife outside in another area.

Social revenge attacks by disgruntled people have become common in China to highlight the grievances.