Several shots have been fired inside and outside the Canadian parliament building in Ottawa while cabinet meeting was in progress on Wednesday.
The gunman who is said to be carrying a rifle fired at soldiers securing Canada’s National war memorial leaving one soldier wounded, and then ran into the parliament building nearby.
A minister described the incident as a “terrible act of violence against our country.”
The incident came hours after Canada raised its terror threat level following a fatal hit-and-run attack on two soldiers earlier in the week.
On Tuesday Quebec police killed a Muslim convert after deliberately hitting two soldiers with his car, killing one and injuring another.
Earlier this month, Canada announced plans to join the US-led campaign of air strikes against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, ISIS, militants in Iraq.
There are no reports yet of anyone inside the building being hurt as security officers are also yet to ascertain the identity and number of gunmen inside the parliament.
The nearby University of Ottawa has been placed on lockdown, as well as all local police buildings.
Meanwhile, Stephen Harper, Canadian Prime Minister is said to be “safe and has left Parliament Hill,” his director of communications wrote on Twitter.
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