Photo: AA.
NEW YORK: Multiple casualties were reported late Sunday after gunmen opened fire on worshipers inside a mosque in Quebec, Canada, according to media reports.
Video footage online showed heavy police presence around the Quebec Islamic Cultural Center where approximately 40 people were gathered.
Police have not yet confirmed fatalities, but various media reports put it as high as five, with likely a higher number of injuries.
The complex has been a target of hate attacks and threats in recent years.
In June, a pig’s head was left at its door along with a note, “Bon appetit”, during the holy month of Ramadan. Consumption of pork is prohibited for Muslims.
In 2015, a man in a Joker’s mask in a YouTube video complained about and threatened Quebec Muslims, saying that if the government would not do anything about them, he would.
The attack comes amid widespread protests across the U.S. in defiance of an executive order signed by President Donald Trump that bans immigrants and refugees from seven Muslim-majority refugees.
