Ten persons were killed and 15 others were injured in a series of stabbings in Canada’s Saskatchewan province on Sunday, the police said, reported AFP.

The attacks took place in the indigenous community of James Smith Cree Nation and the nearby town of Weldon, Royal Canadian Mounted Police Assistant Commissioner Rhonda Blackmore said at a news conference.

The number of victims could be higher as the police said it was possible that those injured would have admitted themselves to hospitals near them, reported The Wall Street Journal.

The assailants have been identified as Damien Sanderson and Myles Sanderson, Blackmore said, adding that the police were trying to identify if the two persons are related.

“We believe some of the victims may have been targeted by the suspects, and others have been attacked randomly,” Blackmore said. “To speak to a motive would be extremely difficult at this point. We need everyone in the province to stay vigilant and report any suspicious activity.”

The police said the suspects were last seen in the provincial capital of Regina in the afternoon, reported The Guardian. They have not been sighted since.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police asked Regina residents to take precautions and shelter themselves.

“Do not leave a secure location,” the police tweeted. “DO NOT APPROACH suspicious persons. Do not pick up hitchhikers. Report suspicious persons, emergencies or info to 9-1-1. Do not disclose police locations.”

Blackmore said the police in the neighbouring provinces of Alberta and Manitoba were assisting in the investigation. She said that there was no indication the suspects have left Saskatchewan, adding that the police, however, cannot be certain about it.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau described the attacks as “horrific and heartbreaking”.

The attacks were one of the deadliest in Canada since a gunman in 2020 killed 22 persons in the Nova Scotia province in a 14-hour rampage.

The crime data in Canada shows that stabbings are the second-most common form of homicide after shootings. Stabbings accounted for nearly one-third of homicides in the country in 2021, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing Statistics Canada.