Alwaght- At least six people were killed a terrorist attack on worshipers inside a mosque in Canadian capital city of Quebec.
The attackers entered the city's Grand Mosque opening fire on people who were saying their evening prayers. Eight people were also injured during the shooting.
Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau condemned the killing as a "terrorist attack" saying “We condemn this terrorist attack on Muslims in a center of worship and refuge".
The shooting was carried out by three people at the Québec City Islamic cultural center, witnesses said, and happened during evening prayers on Sunday. Police received the first calls just before 8pm.
At the time of the attack, more than 50 people were thought to be in the two-storey building, also called the Grand Mosque de Québec, which is equipped with several CCTV cameras.
One of the suspects was carrying an AK-47 assault rifle and one was aged 27, Local newspaper Le Soleil reported. At a media conference, police said the victims were aged between 35 and 70.
The mosque’s president, Mohamed Yangui – who was not inside the mosque when the shooting occurred – said he got frantic calls from people at evening prayers. He said the injured were taken to different hospitals across Quebec City. “Why is this happening here? This is barbaric,” he said.
The premier of Québec, Philippe Couillard, called the killings a “terrorist act” and said the government stood in solidarity with the city’s Muslim population. he tweeted: “#Québec rejects categorically this barbaric violence. All our solidarity to the families of the victims, the injured and their families.”
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 in the vicinity.
