Police: Accused in Canada military stabbing attack cited Allah

TORONTO/OTTAWA (Reuters) - A 27-year-old man accused of stabbing two soldiers in a Canadian military recruitment office in Toronto on Monday said he had received orders from Allah to kill people, but there is so far no indication he was working with others, police said.

Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders told reporters on Tuesday that the suspect, Ayanie Hassan Ali, was a Canadian citizen born in Montreal.

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Saunders said there was no immediate evidence that the suspect had been working with another group. Neither soldier was badly injured in Monday's attack.

"While at the scene the accused stated that 'Allah told me to do this, Allah told me to come here and kill people'," said Saunders.

Ali faces five charges, including one of attempted murder. Toronto police initially said his first name was Ayanle.

Security officials have been on alert for lone attacks since October 2014, when a gunman attacked Canada's Parliament after shooting dead a soldier at a nearby war memorial. The attack by the Muslim convert came two days after another Canadian convert to Islam ran down two soldiers in Quebec, killing one.

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