Suspect in fatal stabbing in Austria linked to Islamic State, officials say
Feb. 16 (UPI) -- The suspect in a stabbing in Austria killed a 14-year boy and injured five others swore allegiance to the Islamic State who apparently acted alone, authorities said Sunday.
The incident was Saturday afternoon at Villach, a town near the border with Italy and Slovenia in the state of Carinthia.
A 23-year-old unidentified Syrian asylum seeker has been charged with murder and attempted murder.
Interior Minister Gerhard Karner said an Islamic State group flag had been found in the his apartment.
State police chief Michaela Kohlweiss said he had sworn allegiance to the group.
Karner said this was an "Islamist attack with IS links by an attacker who, according to the investigations so far, was obviously radicalized online, via the internet, within a very short space of time.
"So those in a position of responsibility, the police, the authorities, must draw the necessary conclusions from that," Karner added at the news conference.
Karner said the suspect had a valid residence permit and no criminal record.
The injured are two 15-year-olds, and those 28, 32 and 36. Three of them are in intensive care.
Five are Austrian nationals and one is Turkish.
A delivery worker, also from Syria, is credited with helping prevent more injuries, police said. Alaaeddin Alhalabi, 42, rammed his vehicle at the attacker, allowing two officers on scene to catch him.
On Thursday in Munich, an asylum-seeker from Afghanistan driving a vehicle into a crowd of people. One day later, a 37-year-old mother and her child died with at least 37 others injured.
The driver was a 24-year-old Afghan asylum seeker, police said. He appeared to have a religious motivation, officials said.
Salzburg Archbishop Franz Lackner called for social cohesion against the "godless terror" of radical Islamism. The archbishop also expressly thanked those who helped at the crime scenes "at the risk of their lives with moral courage and true charity."
An election last year saw the far-right Freedom Party come out on top for the first time. The party has failed to form a coalition government.
Herbert Kickl, the head of the Freedom Party, said Saturday that Austria needs a "rigorous crackdown on asylum."
Erwin Angerer, leader of the National Council for the Freedom Party, is calling for "an end to illegal mass immigration through a ban on asylum, consistent deportations and tough action against the threat of Islamist terrorism."
Austrian People's Party Chairman Martin Grube is calling for increased digital monitoring of radical Islamic content on the Internet: "We have to drain the breeding ground for radicalization," he said.
Gerhard Kofer, leader of the Team Carinthia party in the state of Carinthia, called for consistent action against extremism.
"Significant correction in asylum and migration policy," is needed, Kofer said. "Clear measures are needed to identify potential threats at an early stage
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Beatrice Dupuy and Rachel Leathe in New York contributed.
