Quebec City, Canada: Six people were killed and eight more injured after gunmen opened fire at a Quebec City mosque, police said today. Police spokeswoman Christine Coulombe told journalists that two suspects were arrested following the attack that police were treating as a "terrorist act." Police did not rule out the possibility of a third suspect who had fled the scene. The motive of the attack was not immediately clear. Police set up a perimeter around the mosque.
Earlier, a witness told Reuters that up to three gunmen fired on about 40 people inside the Quebec City Islamic Cultural Center.
"Why is this happening here? This is barbaric," said the mosque's president, Mohamed Yangui.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Twitter: "Tonight, Canadians grieve for those killed in a cowardly attack on a mosque in Quebec City. My thoughts are with victims & their families."
The Prime Minister also said:
Quebec's prime minister, Philippe Couillard, said in a series of Twitter posts that the government was "mobilized to ensure the security of the people of Quebec."
"Quebec categorically rejects this barbaric violence," he wrote. "Solidarity with Quebec people of Muslim faith.
In June 2016, a pig's head was left on the doorstep of the cultural center.
Yangui, who was not inside the mosque when the shooting occurred, said he got frantic calls from people at evening prayers. He did not know how many were injured, saying they had been taken to different hospitals across Quebec City.
Incidents of Islamophobia increased in Quebec in recent years amid a political debate over banning the niqab, or Muslim face covering. In 2013, police investigated after a mosque in the Saguenay region of Quebec was splattered with what was believed to be pig blood.
In the neighboring province of Ontario, a mosque was set on fire in 2015, a day after an attack by gunmen and suicide bombers in Paris.
The attack comes as Canada has vowed to open its arms wide to Muslims and refugees after US President Donald Trump's controversial immigration ban Friday sparked travel chaos and outrage around the world.
Canada will offer temporary residence permits to people stranded in the country as a result of Trump's order, the immigration ministry said Sunday.
Canada has welcomed more than 39,670 Syrian refugees between November 2015 and early January 2017, according to government figures.
(Inputs from Reuters and AFP)
Earlier, a witness told Reuters that up to three gunmen fired on about 40 people inside the Quebec City Islamic Cultural Center.
"Why is this happening here? This is barbaric," said the mosque's president, Mohamed Yangui.
The Prime Minister also said:
Quebec's prime minister, Philippe Couillard, said in a series of Twitter posts that the government was "mobilized to ensure the security of the people of Quebec."
Advertisement
Yangui, who was not inside the mosque when the shooting occurred, said he got frantic calls from people at evening prayers. He did not know how many were injured, saying they had been taken to different hospitals across Quebec City.
Advertisement
The attack comes as Canada has vowed to open its arms wide to Muslims and refugees after US President Donald Trump's controversial immigration ban Friday sparked travel chaos and outrage around the world.
Advertisement
Canada has welcomed more than 39,670 Syrian refugees between November 2015 and early January 2017, according to government figures.
Advertisement
COMMENTS
Advertisement
Canada Prime Minister's Office Demands Fox News Withdraw Tweet About Gunman Canada Shooting Suspect Rented Apartment Close To Mosque: Neighbours Canada's Quebec City Mosque Shooting Suspect Charged With Murdering 6 People 8 Dead, 2,750 Hurt As Pagers Explode Across Lebanon, Hezbollah Blames Israel 'Pager Bombs' Target Hezbollah In Lebanon. What We Know So Far - 5 Points IndiGo Flight Tailstrike Leaves Huge Dent During Take-Off From Delhi Airport 25 Children Killed After Bus Carrying Religious Pilgrim Crashes In Nigeria University Of Queensland, IIT Delhi Round 2 Admission Process Begins 'Pager Bombs' Target Hezbollah In Lebanon. What We Know So Far - 5 Points Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.