There is a ‘significant’ number of people injured and killed by shootings in two mosques in the city of Christchurch in New Zealand.
It says the city’s police commissioner, Mike Bush, at a news conference.
He can not yet put a figure on how many victims there are, after Friday’s attack on two mosques in the city.
According to the New Zealand Herald, it is feared up to 27 people, however, killed.
Three men and a woman are in police custody. The police can not yet exclude the possibility that there are multiple perpetrators.
the Attacks occurred during Friday prayers in the two mosques al-Noor and Linwood. Al-Noor Mosque was the first who was attacked.
Police urge everyone to keep within doors, and stresses that the situation remains ‘very serious’.
Photo: Martin Hunter/Reuters/SNPA/Ritzau Scanpix
Police do not yet know whether there is a risk of attacks against other mosques or other places in Christchurch or the rest of New Zealand, says Bush.
A man who has taken the blame for the shootings, has placed a 74-page indvandringskritisk manifesto on the net, where he explains his background and his motive for the attack, writes the AP.
He is apparently one of the four who are apprehended.
An eyewitness reports that a member man walked into the al-Noor mosque, in which several shots were heard.
People fled from the spot, and then stack the offender also tells Len Peneha, which went into the mosque to try to help.
– I saw dead people all over, says Len Peneha to news agency AP.
Photo: Martin Hunter/Reuters/SNPA/Ritzau Scanpix
another eyewitness, who was in the mosque, say to the tv station TVNZ that the shooting lasted for 20 minutes, and that the perpetrator systematically went through the mosque and shot people.
Shortly after the shooting started, was also reported gunfire in the second mosque, writes the new zealand media.
Armed officers are in place across most of the city, police in Christchurch, which calls the inhabitants to be indoors.
Photo: Martin Hunter/Reuters/SNPA/Ritzau Scanpix
Police commissioner Mike Bush describes as an ‘unprecedented’ and ‘very serious’ situation.
Police have made more bombs in the cars in the city.
It is not immediately clear whether there is a connection with the shootings.
An eyewitness informs to Radio New Zealand that he heard gunshots at the al-Noor mosque, and that there were at least four people on the ground.
There was blood everywhere, says øjenvidnet.
Photo: Martin Hunter/Reuters/SNPA/Ritzau Scanpix
another eyewitness said to the tv station One News, that he saw three people lying bleeding on the ground outside the mosque.
About 300 people had gathered in the mosque al-Noor, reports Radio New Zealand.
