Norwegian Foreign Minister, Børge Brende, and NATO commander, Jens Stoltenberg, condemned a terrorist attack in a mosque in the city of Quebec, in Canada.
‘My thoughts are with the victims, their families and all Canadians’, wrote Brende on Twitter on Monday morning.
NATO chief, Jens Stoltenberg, denoted the attacks as ‘terrible’, and also sent his thoughts to the victims, and other Canadians.
‘We condemn this terrorist attack against Muslims’, said Canadian Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, after the attack against a mosque in Quebec, which killed at least six people.
‘Diversity is our strength, and religious tolerance is a value that we, as Canadians, hold dear’, said the prime minister in a statement.
The number of confirmed dead was raised from five to six early on Monday morning (Norwegian time). Dozens of people had gathered to pray in the mosque when the attack occurred.
Police said the situation is now under control; the area has been secured, and anyone who had been in the mosque has now been evacuated. Two suspects have been arrested.
One was arrested near the mosque, and the other about 40km away, according to Montreal Gazette.
The French-speaking city of Quebec is the capital of the province of the same name and has around half a million inhabitants. The province’s Chief Minister, Philippe Couillard, said on Twitter that the government has initiated measures to ensure public safety.
Couillard described the shooting as ‘barbaric violence’, and expressed his sympathy to the victims’ families.
The mosque has about 5,000 members, and is one of six mosques in Quebec City.
Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today
