BEIJING - A Defense Ministry spokesman said Thursday the Chinese army will fight various terrorist activities according to government instructions when responding to the Tian'anmen car crash.

"Terrorism is an international enemy, and many national armies have been tasked with the mission of anti-terrorism," said spokesman Yang Yujun at a monthly press briefing.

According to the National Defense Law and the Emergency Response Law of China, the Chinese army will fight various terrorist activities according to the government's instructions when necessary, said Yang.

A jeep crashed into a crowd of people and caught fire in front of the Tian'anmen rostrum in downtown Beijing at noon on Monday, killing five people and injuring another 40, police said.

Chinese police have identified the deadly crash as a violent terrorist attack and five suspects have been detained.

The dead include three people in the jeep, a Filipino female tourist and a male tourist from South China's Guangdong province, according to the police.

The 40 injured include two female tourists and one male tourist from the Philippines as well as a male tourist from Japan.