Six killed as masked gunmen open fire in mosque ‘terror attack’
SIX people were killed and at least eight others injured in a “terrorist attack” at a mosque in Canada.
Masked gunmen shouted “Allahu akbar” — “God is great” — as they opened fire on about 50 people inside the Quebec Islamic Cultural Centre during evening prayers.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau condemned the “cowardly” atrocity as a “terrorist attack on Muslims”.
He said: “It is heartbreaking to see that such a senseless act of violence has been committed.
“Diversity is our strength and, as Canadians, religious tolerance is a value that is dear to us.
“Muslim-Canadians are an important part of our national fabric, and these senseless acts have no place in our communities, cities and country. My thoughts are with their victims and their families.”
The victims were aged between 35 and 70, police said.
Greg Fergus, an MP in Quebec, described the attack as “a terrorist act — the result of years of demonising Muslims”.
Police arrested one of the suspects after he called expressing remorse following the attack at around 8pm on Sunday, according to local reports. The gunman reportedly threatened to kill himself near a bridge leading out of Quebec City.
Reports suggested the unnamed shooter was arrested and police found three guns, including two apparent semi-automatic weapons, inside his vehicle.
A second person is also believed to have been arrested. One of the suspects was carrying an AK-47 assault rifle and one was aged 27, local newspaper Le Soleil reported.
A witness said gunmen opened fire on worshippers inside the men’s section of the mosque.
One worshipper told Radio Canada: “We threw ourselves on the ground directly. Many people who prayed came out of their prayers and threw themselves on the ground.” Another added: “It seemed to me that they [the shooters] had a Quebecois accent. They started to fire, and when they shot they yelled, ‘Allahu akbar!’
“The bullets hit people that were praying. People who were praying lost their lives. A bullet passed right over my head.”
Worshipper Ali Hamadi said his friend and co-worker Abdelkrim Hassen, who worked in IT for the government, was killed. He said Mr Hassen had three daughters and a wife, who was brought to hospital by a neighbour to hear the news.
The mosque has been targeted before. In June, during the holy month of Ramadan, a pig’s head was left there. Weeks later, an Islamophobic letter was distributed nearby.
However, Mohamed Yanqui, the mosque’s leader, said it had not received any threats recently.
“We have a very good relationship with the neighbours, with the community,” he said. “There’s mutual respect — and now today we have this dramatic event. Why is this happening here? This is barbaric.”
On its Facebook page, the centre thanked the public “for the hundreds of messages of compassion”.
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