The number of victims of the armed attack on two mosques in Christchurch has risen to 49 and nearly 50, including children, have been killed. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardran described the attack as a terrorist act and announced a heightened threat to security in the country.
"It is very sad to tell you that these victims have lost their lives as a result of this violent extremism. There are also more than 20 wounded, some of them very critical, and this attack can only be described as terrorist."
"This is one of New Zealand's darkest days," she said. "It's clear that what happened here is an extraordinary and unprecedented act of violence."
Erdren: Who carried out the operation and planned to adopt extreme right-wing views (Getty Images)
Planning and implementation
Arden said her information was that the attack had been planned with high professionalism, with authorities suspecting four people, three of whom were now in custody and one of the suspects had Australian citizenship.
The Prime Minister indicated that those who carried out the process and planned it were people who espoused extreme right-wing views and considered that they had no place in New Zealand or the world at large.
Earlier, eyewitnesses said a man in camouflage clothes resembled army clothes and carried an automatic rifle that randomly fired at people at the Nur Mosque.