Three black-clad men stormed into an Internet café in Beijing late Monday, randomly slashing 14 customers.

The men entered the Jiahuijia Café and ordered people to squat, then proceeded to walk down the rows of computers while slashing terrified patrons at random, the Beijing Times reported on Wednesday.

No one dared to fight back and the bloodshed went on for 20 minutes in near silence, the only sound the sobbing of a young woman.

Eventually the attackers walked out, leaving the customers to call police and provide some basic first aid to those who were injured. Most had suffered cuts or stab wounds to the back, although some were slashed in the face or head.

One victim, surnamed Cui, is reportedly in serious condition.

The Beijing Times reported that an undisclosed number of people had been arrested in connection with the case as of late Tuesday, but that some suspects remained at large.

Police said preliminary investigations indicate that the attack was motivated by conflict that arose while playing online games.

The incident took place on the same day a knife-wielding man cut 25 children and kidnapped a nine-year-old girl at a primary school in Shandong Province, east China before being arrested.

One month ago, a mentally ill caretaker slashed 15 children, killing one, and cut three teachers in a knife attack at a Beijing kindergarten.

In April, a man stabbed 15 children and two adults at a school in northwest China's Gansu Province. On Monday of this week, he was sentenced to life in prison, according to the Beijing Times.

(Beijing Times, China.org.cn September 23, 2004)