Relatives of those killed in the attack, and

The leader of the Japanese doomsday cult that carried out a deadly 1995 sarin attack on the Tokyo subway was executed yesterday along with six of his followers, decades after the horrific crime.

Shoko Asahara, the charismatic nearblind leader of the Aum Shinrikyo sect, had been on death row for more than ten years for crimes including the nerve agent attack, which shocked the world and prompted a massive crackdown on the cult.

Japan's Justice Minister Yoko Kamikawa confirmed the seven executions, saying the Aum members were responsible for "extremely atrocious and grave acts that were unprecedented and should never

others who were injured welcomed the executions.

The attack during the capital's notoriously crowded rush hour paralysed Tokyo, turning it into a virtual warzone.

Members of the group released the chemical in liquid form at five points through the subway network, and soon commuters began struggling to breathe, staggering from trains with their eyes watering.

Others keeled over, foaming at the mouth, with blood streaming from their noses.

Panic soon set in, with subway workers screaming at people to evacuate and passengers convulsing on carriage floors. Japanese Self-Defense Force members

happen again".

The hangings are the first executions in connection with the attack, which killed 13 people and injured thousands more. A further six cult followers remain on death row.

Japan is one of the few developed nations to retain the death penalty, and public support for it remains high despite international criticism.

dressed in hazmat suits and gas masks descended into the depths to help the injured and deal with the poison.

Though concerns about the Aum had already been raised, the attack prompted a massive crackdown on the cult's headquarters in the foothills of Mount Fuji, where authorities discovered a plant capable of producing enough sarin to kill millions.