In recent years Canada has seen a series of unprecedented violent events (Representational)
Two police officers were shot dead in the line of duty early Thursday in Edmonton in Canada's western Alberta province, officials said.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau offered condolences to the families and colleagues of the officers, who local media reported were responding to a domestic call.
"Every day, police officers put themselves in harm's way to keep people safe. The news that two @EdmontonPolice officers have been killed in the line of duty reminds us of that reality," Trudeau tweeted.
The Edmonton Police Service said in a statement it was "mourning the loss of two of its patrol officers who were killed in the line of duty, while responding to a call earlier today."
Staff Sergeant Michael Elliott, former head of the Edmonton Police Association, said the officers were "killed near Inglewood," a residential neighbourhood in the north central part of the city.
"No words can describe what our members & their families are feeling at this moment. Our entire service & community are mourning & I'm devastated," he tweeted.
No other details of the incident were released, but television images showed a massive police deployment in the neighbourhood.
The city's police chief, Dale McFee, is scheduled to hold a news conference later in the morning.
In recent years Canada has seen a series of unprecedented violent events, though shootings remain much rarer than in the United States.
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