Ottawa police confirmed at least three separate shooting incidents on Wednesday, with gunmen reportedly dressed in Islamic garb targeting the city’s war memorial, parliament building and the upscale Rideau Centre shopping mall.
The city remains on lockdown as police search for “numerous gunmen,” with authorities telling those in the city center to hunker down and stay away from windows and rooftops. Multiple reports indicate that one attacker has been shot inside the Canadian parliament, where many lawmakers remain sequestered inside the building.
One worker who observed the attackers as they stormed into the Canadian parliament noted they were dressed in black and wore head scarves, adding that writing on their clothing appeared Middle Eastern in nature.
Canada is part of the U.S.-led coalition against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. Following a fatal Monday attack on Canadian soldiers by an Islamic State sympathizer in Quebec, the government raised Canada’s terror alert level from low to medium.