Canadian PM says his country will not be intimidated

PanARMENIAN.Net - Canada's Prime Minister said his country will not be intimidated, after a gunman rampaged through parliament before being shot dead, BBC News reports.

Stephen Harper described the attacker as a terrorist and promised to "redouble" anti-terror efforts.

The gunman, named as Michael Zehaf-Bibeau, shot and killed soldier at an Ottawa war memorial before entering parliament. On Monday, Oct 20, a Muslim convert killed a soldier in Quebec.

Harper described that earlier attack as a plot inspired by the Islamic State (IS) militant group.

Earlier this month, Canada announced plans to join the U.S.-led campaign of air strikes against Islamic State (IS) militants in Iraq.

However, there is no official confirmation that any of this week's attacks are directly linked to IS or the new military campaign.

In a televised address late on Wednesday, Harper said: "We will not be intimidated. Canada will never be intimidated. In fact, this will lead us to strengthen our resolve and redouble our efforts... to take all necessary steps to identify and counter threats and keep Canada safe."

Harper stressed that the perpetrators "will have no safe haven" in Canada, but admitted the attacks showed that the country was "not immune to terrorist attacks".

The PM was meeting MPs at the time of the shooting, but was safely evacuated.

The attack began on Wednesday morning, as two soldiers guarding the memorial came under fire from a man carrying a rifle. One soldier, Cpl Nathan Cirillo, died of his injuries. Three other people were treated in hospital and released by evening. Minutes after the attack at the memorial, dozens of shots were fired inside the parliament building.

The gunman was shot dead by Sergeant-at-arms Kevin Vickers, 58.

"MPs and [Parliament] Hill staff owe their safety, even lives, to Sergeant at Arms Kevin Vickers who shot attacker just outside the MPs' caucus rooms," New Democrat MP Craig Scott tweeted.

Zehaf-Bibeau, 32, had apparently been designated a high-risk traveller and had his passport taken away because of suspected jihadist sympathies.

A Twitter user who posted an image purporting to show Zehaf-Bibeau said it had come from an IS-linked account. He was known to have a police record for petty crime, including possession of drugs and robbery.

In his evening address, Harper described him as a terrorist.

"In the days to come we will learn more about the terrorist and any accomplices he may have had," Harper said.

Several buildings in the city went into lockdown during the incident, as police told those in the vicinity of central Ottawa to stay away from windows and roofs as they searched for potential additional suspects.

Parliament Hill is still closed to the public.

In a telephone call with Harper, U.S. President Barack Obama condemned the attacks and reaffirmed the two nations' close friendship.