Two people were injured in a stabbing attack at the Nanaksar Gurdwara in Canada on Friday around 05:00 local time (12:00 BST), according to police. Acting Inspector Eric Stewart said the two victims, a 75-year-old man and a 51-year-old man, were stabbed during a confrontation with a suspect who had entered the temple and attempted to access the prayer area. The victims are described as worshippers and are in stable condition, with no life-threatening injuries reported.

Attack timeline and suspect background

Police first received reports at 04:49 local time of a man walking in traffic on a highway; About 15 minutes later, they received calls about the stabbing at the temple, according to the Edmonton Police Service. The suspect, a 27-year-old man known to police, has an extensive history of violent crimes dating back to 2015, while he had been released from federal prison in Alberta the day before the attack and failed to report to his designated halfway house in Edmonton.

Authorities said the suspect was detained by quick-acting witnesses inside the temple and is now in police custody. No motive has been officially confirmed, and charges remain pending. Police are investigating whether the attack was motivated by a hateful ideology.

Rising anti-Sikh tensions

The World Sikh Organization, based in Canada, expressed concern over the attack, noting it comes amid a backdrop of rising anti-Sikh hate in the country. The attack follows reports that police were already investigating threatening calls made to two Sikh gurdwaras in Calgary, located approximately two hours south of the site of Friday’s incident.

“This is deeply troubling,” the organization said. The incident has added to growing concerns about hate crimes targeting Sikh communities in Canada, particularly in recent months.

Community and law enforcement response

Acting Inspector Eric Stewart praised the actions of witnesses who intervened to detain the suspect. “Thankfully, quick-acting witnesses intervened and detained the man,” he said during a press conference on Friday.

Authorities have not yet provided further details on the suspect’s identity or any potential connections to the previous threatening calls to gurdwaras in Calgary. The Edmonton Police Service continues to investigate the incident and has not ruled out any possible motives, including anti-Sikh bias.