[CBC News] Islamic State has released a video that shows an Ottawa man calling on his fellow Muslims to carry out lone-wolf attacks on Canadian targets.John Maguire, who was already reportedly under investigation by the RCMP after travelling to Syria to join IS in January 2013, appears in the video. He is identified in the video as Abu Anwar al-Canadi and speaks in English.
Standing amid ruins, Maguire warns Canadians that the country's participation in the coalition fighting the IS will lead to revenge attacks. He urges Muslim Canadians to follow the example of Martin Couture-Rouleau, who a warrant officer and wounded another soldier when he ran them down with a car in Quebec in October. The video also references October's attack at the National War Memorial and Parliament Hill in Ottawa.
In previous online statements, Abu Anwar has said he is going to have the "reward of jihad" and "the opportunity for martyrdom." He also calls Canada "evil."
Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney said in a statement on Sunday that Canadians must remain vigilant. He said, "That is why we are taking part in the coalition that is currently conducting air strikes against ISIL, and supporting the security forces in Iraq in their fight against this terrorist scourge. It is also the reason that we are working very determinedly to strengthen the tools available to the police and intelligence community to better protect us."
Earlier this year, Canadian intelligence officials estimated that 130 other Canadians have joined the conflicts in either Syria or Iraq. Many, but not all, are joining IS.
Some, such as former Canadian Forces corporal Dillon Hillier, have gone to the area to take up arms against IS militants. Hillier has been fighting alongside Kurdish forces in northern Iraq since late November, with support from the 1st North American Expeditionary Force, a private organization that helps people who want to volunteer to fight IS.
Blaney has advised Canadian citizens to "avoid engaging in a combat activity abroad."