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Jordan Times
17-02-2025
- Politics
- Jordan Times
Jordan condemns stabbing attack in Austria
AMMAN — The Foreign Ministry on Sunday condemned the stabbing attack in the Austrian city of Villach, which resulted in one death and several injuries. Ministry spokesperson Sufian Qudah expressed Jordan's unwavering solidarity with Austria, offering full support to both the Austrian government and its people in the wake of this tragic incident. He reiterated Jordan's firm stance against all forms of violence and terrorism that jeopardise security and stability, according to a Foreign Ministry statement. Qudah also extended heartfelt condolences to the Austrian government, the people of Austria, and the family of the victim, wishing a swift recovery to those injured in the attack. A 14-year-old boy died and four other people were injured in a knife attack in southern Austria on Saturday, police said, adding they have arrested a 23-year-old Syrian asylum seeker, AFP reported. "A man randomly attacked passers-by with a knife," police spokesman Rainer Dionisio told AFP of the incident in the city of Villach. "One victim, a 14-year-old boy, died," he added. Two other men suffered serious injuries, while another two men were lightly injured, Dionisio added. The incident happened on Saturday just before 4 pm local time (1500 GMT) in the centre of the city, the capital of Carinthia province. A food delivery rider saw the attack and rammed his vehicle into the attacker, who was lightly injured and was arrested "right after the attack", according to Dionisio. The man under arrest is a Syrian asylum seeker with a valid residence permit and without a criminal record according to preliminary information, he added. The youngest victim was a 14-year-old, while the oldest is 32 years old, he said.
Khaleej Times
16-02-2025
- Politics
- Khaleej Times
Syrian arrested after deadly stabbing attack in Austria
A Syrian asylum seeker was arrested after a teenager was stabbed to death and five other people were wounded in southern Austria on Saturday, police said, sending shock waves through the Alpine nation. The attack comes just two days after a suspected Afghan asylum seeker rammed a car into people in the city of Munich in neighbouring Germany, killing two people and wounding dozens of others. In the Austrian city of Villach, a man "randomly attacked passers-by with a knife", police spokesman Rainer Dionisio told AFP. Officers had arrested a 23-year-old Syrian asylum seeker, he said. "One victim, a 14-year-old boy, died," he added. The number of wounded increased from four earlier to five, including two who were seriously hurt, Dionisio said. The oldest victim was 36 years old. The incident happened on Saturday just before 4.00 pm local time in the centre of the city in Carinthia province. A passing food delivery rider — also from Syria — intervened, ramming his vehicle into the attacker, who was lightly hurt and was arrested "right after the attack", said Dionisio. The suspect is a Syrian asylum seeker with a valid residence permit and no a criminal record, according to preliminary information, he added. Dionisio said they could not yet say anything about the motive of the attack, but were verifying eyewitness accounts that the attacker had shouted "Allahu Akbar" (God is greatest). 'Harshest consequences' Carinthia Governor Peter Kaiser of the Social Democrats called for the "harshest consequences" for this "unbelievable atrocity". "I have always said very clearly and unambiguously: Anyone who lives in Carinthia, in Austria, must respect the law and must adapt to our rules and values" he said. "Anyone who violates these rules must face the harshest consequences; they must be put on trial, imprisoned and deported." Far-right leader Herbert Kickl — whose party won September's national elections for the first time ever — said he was "appalled" by the attack, calling it a "system failure". "We need a rigorous clamp-down on asylum," he said in a statement. Kickl's Freedom Party (FPOe) this week failed in talks to form a government with the runner-up and incumbent conservatives. Austria hosts a large Syrian refugee population of almost 100,000. After Bashar Al Assad's ouster in Syria in December, Austria and several European countries froze pending asylum requests from Syrians to reassess the situation. In addition, Austria has stopped family reunifications and sent out at least 2,400 letters to revoke refugee status. The interior ministry has said it is preparing "an orderly repatriation and deportation programme to Syria". Austria has so far only seen one jihadist attack, in 2020, when a convicted Daesh sympathiser went on a shooting rampage in downtown Vienna, killing four. The Villach attack follows Thursday's car-ramming attack in Munich. A two-year-old girl and her mother died on Saturday from injuries suffered in that attack which wounded 37 other people. A 24-year-old Afghan asylum seeker was arrested on suspicion of deliberately driving the car into a trade union demonstration. German police said he may have had extremist motives for the attack. The carnage came shortly before Germans head to the polls for a February 23 election where immigration is a key issue following a spate of attacks blamed on migrants.
The Independent
16-02-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Teenager dead and five injured after ‘random' knife attack in Austria
A man has been arrested after a 14-year-old boy was killed in a stabbing in Austria, which left five others injured. The 23-year-old suspect, who police said is a Syrian national with legal residence in Austria, was detained after the attack in the city of Villach on Saturday. Four of the victims were men aged between 14 and 32. Two were seriously injured in the attack, with the other two sustaining minor injuries. Later on Saturday, police confirmed a fifth man had been injured. A motive is currently unclear but police continue to investigate the suspect's personal background. "We have to wait until we get secure information," police spokesperson Rainer Dionisio said, adding a man 'randomly attacked passers-by with a knife'. The incident happened on Saturday just before 4pm local time in the centre of the city in southern Austria. A 'heroic' 42-year-old man who works for a food delivery company drove towards the suspect to intervene after witnessing the stabbings in his car, Mr Dionisio told Austria's public broadcaster ORF. It is also unclear whether the suspect acted alone, and police are searching for other potential suspects. Peter Kaiser, the governor of the Austrian province of Carinthia, expressed his condolences to the family of the 14-year-old victim. He said: "This outrageous atrocity must be met with harsh consequences. I have always said with clarity and unambiguously: Those who live in Carinthia, in Austria, have to respect the law and adjust to our rules and values." Far-right leader Herbert Kickl said on the X social media platform that he is "appalled by the horrific act in Villach" and wished the family of the 14-year-old victim who was killed in the attack "much strength". He added: "At the same time, I am angry — angry at those politicians who have allowed stabbings, rapes, gang wars and other capital crimes to become the order of the day in Austria. This is a first-class failure of the system, for which a young man in Villach has now had to pay with his life.' Conservative party leader Christian Stocker said on X the attacker "must be brought to justice and be punished with the full force of the law". "We all want to live in a safe Austria, adding that this means political measures need to be taken to "avoid such acts of horror in the future," he said. The leader of the Social Democrats, Andreas Babler, said on X that "the full force of the law" must be used. "Crimes like this one simply should not happen in our society." Austria's interior minister Gerhard Karner was expected in Villach on Sunday morning, although it is unclear whether the visit will go ahead. Villach is a city in southern Austria in the state of Carinthia. It is known for its carnival and is in an area that is a tourist hotspot in the summer as it includes one of Austria's most famous lakes, but otherwise it attracts little attention. "I have been in the [Carinthian Police] press service for 20 years and cannot recall such an act," Mr Dionisio told ORF. Erwin Angerer, a lawmaker for the far-right Freedom Party, said his party had been warning about the situation in Austria as a result of the country's "disastrous asylum policy".
Arab Times
16-02-2025
- Politics
- Arab Times
Man stabbed 6 people in Austria killing 1 in what police describe as a random attack
VIENNA, Feb 16, (AP): A 23-year-old man stabbed six passersby in southern Austria on Saturday in what police said was a random attack that left a 14-year-old dead and five others injured. The suspect was detained in the city of Villach, where the attack took place, police said. He is a Syrian national with legal residence in Austria, they said. Police spokesperson Rainer Dionisio said a motive was not immediately known. He added that police were investigating the attacker's personal background. "We have to wait until we get secure information,' he said. A 42-year-old man who works for a food delivery company witnessed the incident from his car, police said. He drove toward the suspect and helped to prevent things from getting worse, Dionisio told Austria's public broadcaster ORF. The victims were all men, with two seriously injured and two sustaining minor injuries, police said. Later on Saturday, police said a fifth person, also a man, was injured in the attack. Peter Kaiser, the governor of the Austrian province of Carinthia, expressed his condolences to the family of the 14-year-old victim. "This outrageous atrocity must be met with harsh consequences. I have always said with clarity and unambiguously: Those who live in Carinthia, in Austria, have to respect the law and adjust to our rules and values.' Far-right leader Herbert Kickl said on the X social media platform that he is "appalled by the horrific act in Villach' and wished the family of the 14-year-old victim who was killed in the attack "much strength.' "At the same time, I am angry - angry at those politicians who have allowed stabbings, gang wars and other capital crimes to become the order of the day in Austria. This is a first-class failure of the system, for which a young man in Villach has now had to pay with his life,' Kickl said. "From Austria to the EU - the wrong rules are in force everywhere. Nobody is allowed to challenge them, everything is declared sacrosanct,' he said, adding that his party had outlined what he viewed as necessary changes to immigration laws in his party's election platform. "We need a rigorous crackdown on asylum and must not continue to import conditions like those in Villach.' Conservative party leader Christian Stocker said on X that the attacker "must be brought to justice and be punished with the full force of the law.'
The National
16-02-2025
- Politics
- The National
Austria shaken as Syrian asylum seeker kills teenage boy in stabbing spree
A 23-year-old Syrian asylum seeker stabbed six passers-by in the centre of the Austrian town of Villach on Saturday, killing a 14-year-old boy and injuring four other people, police said. Further details, such as whether the attacker knew any of the victims, remained unclear, police representative Rainer Dionisio said. The injured were aged between 14 and 32. Mr Dionisio said two of the injured people were in a serious condition in hospital after the stabbings. The bloodshed in Villach followed an attack this week in Munich by an Afghan citizen who drove his car into a crowd of people, injuring dozens, two of whom later died. Such attacks are extremely rare in Austria. A terrorist killed four people in Vienna in a shooting rampage in 2020 that was the country's deadliest assault in decades. Villach is known for its carnival and is in an area that is a tourist hotspot in the summer as it includes one of Austria's most famous lakes but otherwise attracts little attention. 'I have been in the [Carinthian police] press service for 20 years and cannot recall such an act,' Mr Dionisio told national broadcaster ORF. A man, who Austrian media described as a Syrian food delivery driver, charged into the attacker with his car and prevented him from harming more people, Mr Dionisio said. The attack comes at a time of political upheaval in Austria as the far-right Freedom Party, which came first in September's parliamentary election, said on Wednesday it had failed to form a coalition government. The president is now considering whether an alternative to a snap election is available. Railing against illegal immigration and pledging to increase deportations to countries like Syria and Afghanistan, which it is currently illegal to deport people to, are central to the Freedom Party's platform and appeal, and the party quickly seized on the Villach attack. 'We need a rigorous crackdown on asylum and cannot continue to import conditions like those in Villach,' Freedom Party leader Herbert Kickl said.
