Two injured in Edmonton gurdwara attack, Canada PM calls it ‘appalling’

Edmonton: Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has condemned an attack at a gurdwara in Edmonton that left two men injured, saying no one should feel unsafe in their place of worship.

The incident took place at the Nanaksar Gurdwara Gursikh Temple in northeastern Edmonton shortly after 5 a.m. on Saturday, when a man allegedly disrupted morning prayers ahead of a wedding ceremony.

According to the Edmonton Police Service, officers responding to the incident near 14 Street and Horsehill Road arrested a man at the scene. Emergency personnel treated two adult men for injuries that were described as non-life-threatening.

Carney described the attack as “appalling” and expressed solidarity with the injured victims and Edmonton’s Sikh community.

“The attack at the Nanaksar Gurdwara in Edmonton this morning is appalling,” Carney said in a post on X. He also thanked the Edmonton Police Service for its swift response.

Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre also condemned the incident, calling the attack “horrific” and saying the person responsible must be held accountable.

Poilievre said authorities should establish the motive behind the violence and ensure people in Canada can practise their religion “in peace and security”. He also expressed support for Edmonton’s Sikh community and wished the injured victims a swift recovery.

Police have not yet announced a motive for the attack. Authorities have also not said whether the incident is being investigated as a hate-motivated crime.

The investigation is ongoing.

With IANS inputs