A ZAKA volunteer at the scene of the Montreal shooting told Israeli media that according to available information, hostages are being held inside. Large local police forces have cordoned off the area and are searching for two suspects still at large, he said.
A ZAKA volunteer at the scene confirmed to Israeli media just before 20:00 Jerusalem that, according to information received so far, hostages are being held inside the kosher supermarket in Montreal, as two suspects remain at large and a large police cordon is in place. This follows earlier reports from The Zioneer that police had stormed the supermarket amid an ongoing hostage crisis, and that a police officer had been wounded.
Since 19:57 Jerusalem, The Zioneer reported shots heard at the scene, followed by initial reports at 20:07 of a shooting attack in Montreal's Jewish neighborhood in the Westbury area, near a Chabad center and kosher supermarket, with a police officer wounded. By 20:17, a hostage situation was confirmed, with multiple gunmen involved and police moving to contain the area. A ZAKA volunteer on-site, Moshie Belch, told Israeli media that two suspects are still unaccounted for and the entire zone is sealed off.
As The Zioneer reported earlier, the incident appears to target the Jewish community in Canada's second-largest city, with footage of gunfire from the scene having emerged and police urging residents to avoid the area and follow shelter instructions.
The exact number and condition of any hostages remain unconfirmed, as does the identity and current location of the two suspects still at large.
5 developments
- StrongZAKA says teams on the ground in Montreal as Jewish community monitors wounded
- StrongNew footage from Montreal attack scene shows police operation underway
- StrongMontreal police chief calls shooting 'a nightmare' after officers ambushed
- DevelopingZAKA volunteers train alongside IDF Home Front Command rescue unit simulating missile-hit rubble in central Israel
Source and signal
- Internal intake