Six people have been killed and another eight wounded in a shooting at a mosque in Quebec City, Canada, police say.<\/p>\n
Shots were fired at the Quebec Islamic Cultural Centre on Sunday night, where more than 50 people had gathered for evening prayers.<\/p>\n
One suspect was arrested at the scene and another was arrested nearby. Police do not believe there are other suspects at large.<\/p>\n
The Canadian authorities are treating the shooting as a terror attack.<\/p>\n
“We condemn this terrorist attack on Muslims in a centre of worship and refuge,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said in a statement.<\/p>\n
“Muslim-Canadians are an important part of our national fabric, and these senseless acts have no place in our communities, cities and country.”<\/p>\n
Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard also referred to the shooting as a terrorist attack.<\/p>\n
The dead were aged between about 35 and 70 years old, police spokeswoman Christine Coulombe said. Some of those injured were in a serious condition, she said.<\/p>\n
Police said the area was secure and the situation was “under control”. Thirty-nine people had left the mosque safely, they said.<\/p>\n
The Quebec authorities have not identified the suspects, but Radio Canada quoted a source close to the investigation as saying that they were students at Laval University in Quebec City and one was of Moroccan origin.<\/p>\n
An eyewitness told the radio station that two hooded people had burst into the mosque. One opened fire on those praying and shouted “Allahu Akbar”, Arabic for “God is Great”.<\/p>\n
One of the suspects fled the scene in a vehicle but was arrested on a bridge leading to Orleans Island, local media reported. The suspect had called the police himself, Radio Canada said.<\/p>\n
Automatic weapons and handguns were recovered by police, Journal de Quebec reported.<\/p>\n
The president of the mosque, Mohamed Yangui – who was not inside at the time – said the shooting had happened in the men’s section of the mosque.<\/p>\n
“Why is this happening here? This is barbaric,” he said.<\/p>\n
On its Facebook page the centre thanked the public “for the hundreds of messages of compassion”.<\/p>\n
In June last year the same mosque was the target of an Islamophobic incident when a pig’s head was left in front of the building, with a card saying “bonne appetit”.<\/p>\n
Eating pork is forbidden in Islam.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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