Islamic State sympathiser shot dead by Canadian police

An Islamic State supporter was shot dead by police in the Canadian province of Ontario. Aaron Daniel Driver, the 24-year-old, detonated an IED before he was killed.

An Islamic State supporter was shot dead by police in a township in the Canadian province of Ontario on Wednesday after he set off an improvised explosive device.

File photo of Aaron Driver leaving a court in Winnipeg in February. A senior police official said on Wednesday a suspect allegedly planning to use a bomb to carry out a suicide bombing in a public area was killed in a police operation. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, identified the suspect as Aaron Driver. (AP)

Identified as Aaron Daniel Driver, the 24-year-old was attempting to detonate another device when he was killed in the confrontation in Strathroy, Ontario, according to multiple reports.

In a statement, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said it acted after receiving “credible information of a potential terrorist threat”. The statement added: “A suspect was identified and the proper course of action has been taken to ensure that there is no danger to the public's safety.”

It also said this was an “unfolding matter” and the “investigation is still underway.”

In a statement, Canada’s minister of public safety and emergency preparedness, Ralph Goodale, said the “RCMP received credible information regarding a potential terrorist threat and took action to ensure public safety”.