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The Independent
17-02-2025
- The Independent
Boy stabbed to death and five injured in ‘ISIS-inspired' knife attack in Austria
A Syrian asylum seeker suspected of killing a teen and injuring five others in a stabbing attack was inspired by Islamic State, Austrian authorities have said. A 14-year-old boy was killed in the main square of the southern Austrian city of Villach on Saturday afternoon, before the attacker was mowed down by a food delivery driver - who was also Syrian. Police spokesperson Rainer Dionisio told The Independent the attacker had acted with an Islamist motivation. Isis flags were found during a search of the 23-year-old suspect's house, after which authorities revealed he had sworn allegiance to Islamic State after being radicalised online. The suspect, who had legal residence in Austria, was detained at the scene seven minutes after police were called. Five people between 15 and 36 years old had been wounded, three of whom remained in intensive care as of Sunday. Austrian interior minister Gerhard Karner said on Sunday the perpetrator was a suspected Islamist who had been radicalised online. 'This was an Islamist attack with ties to Isis,' he told reporters. 'According to investigations, the attacker radicalized himself online in a short period.' The suspect, who has been charged with murder and attempted murder, was not previously known to Austrian police. Mr Karner said he felt 'anger about an Islamist attacker who indiscriminately stabbed innocent people here in this city'. The governor of Carinthia, Peter Kaiser, said it was the 'first Isis terror attack here in Villach'. Victims of the attack, which include five Austrians and one Turkish national, are not believed to have been specifically targeted. Mr Dionisio said on Saturday a man had 'randomly attacked passers-by with a knife'. The incident happened just before 4pm local time in the centre of the city in southern Austria. A 'heroic' 42-year-old Syrian food delivery driver played a 'crucial role' in helping police arrest the attacker. After witnessing the attack taking place, he rammed the man to the ground with his car. Speaking to Austrian media outlet Krone, the driver Alaaeddin Alhalabi said: 'I didn't think twice and drove at him. It threw him a few metres away, then he remained lying on the ground. 'He wanted to go towards the city centre, there were children on the street - I couldn't allow that. I have children myself. If I had been faster, the 14-year-old might not have been dead.' State governor Peter Kaiser said the man's intervention 'shows how closely terrorist evil but also human good can be united in one and the same nationality'. Police are still working to find out whether the suspect acted alone, and police are searching for other potential suspects. As mourners paid their respects, a national debate has erupted on security and immigration. Austria's far-right Freedom Party (FPO), which won September's parliamentary election, last week said it was unable to form a coalition government. But the party quickly seized on the attack, pledging increased deportations to countries such as Syria and Afghanistan - countries which Austria cannot legally deport people to. "No migrant would be able to commit murder or any other crime in our country if they were not in Austria in the first place," FPO leader Herbert Kickl said in a statement posted on social media. "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.' Centrist parties are now looking at forming a government as the president considers options including a snap election. 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,' he said, adding that this means political measures need to be taken to 'avoid such acts of horror in the future'. The leader of the Social Democrats, Andreas Babler, said on X that "the full force of the law" must be used, adding: 'Crimes like this one simply should not happen in our society.' 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." The Free Syrian Community of Austria distanced itself from the attack, saying that Syrians fled their homeland because they were no longer safe, and are 'grateful to have found asylum and protection in Austria'. The statement added: 'Anyone who causes strife and disturbs the peace of society does not represent the Syrians who have sought and received protection here.' 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. 'I have been in the [Carinthian police] press service for 20 years and cannot recall such an act,' Mr Dionisio told ORF.
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.
Yahoo
16-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Three in intensive care after deadly Austrian knife attack
VIENNA (Reuters) - Three victims of a deadly stabbing rampage in the Austrian town of Villach were in intensive care on Sunday as the political fallout from the attack by a suspected Syrian asylum-seeker spread. An attacker killed a 14-year-old Austrian and injured five other passers-by on Saturday afternoon. Police have arrested a 23-year-old man. The five injured are aged between 15 and 36. The eldest, who was only slightly injured, is Turkish and the remainder are Austrian citizens, police spokesperson Rainer Dionisio said. See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. The bloodshed in Villach followed an attack on Thursday in Munich in neighbouring Germany by an Afghan national who drove his car into a crowd, injuring dozens, two of whom later died. Attacks like Saturday's are rare in Austria, and this one comes at a time of political tension since the far-right Freedom Party (FPO), which came first in September's parliamentary election, said last week it was unable to form a coalition government. Centrist parties are now discussing whether they could try to form a government while the president considers options including moving the country towards a snap election. 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 FPO's platform and appeal, and the party quickly seized on the Villach attack. "No migrant would be able to commit murder or any other crime in our country if they were not in Austria in the first place," Freedom Party leader Herbert Kickl said in a statement posted on his and the party's social media. Conservative Interior Minister Gerhard Karner is due to issue a statement to the media in Villach at 11:30 a.m. (1030 GMT).
Voice of America
16-02-2025
- Voice of America
Austrian city in shock after a deadly knife attack as migration comes in spotlight
The city of Villach in southern Austria is in shock after a man stabbed six passersby in broad daylight, killing a 14-year-old boy and wounding five others, as police tried to establish a motive that put migration in the spotlight. Residents began placing candles at the site of the attack in the city of about 60,000 inhabitants. A group of young people, who knew the boy who died in Saturday's attack, gathered at the crime scene on Sunday morning to mourn and tearfully light candles, local media reported. The 23-year-old suspect, who was detained shortly after the stabbing, is a Syrian with a residence permit in Austria. A 42-year-old man, also a Syrian working for a food delivery company, witnessed the attack from his car. He drove toward the suspect and helped to prevent the situation from escalating, police spokesperson Rainer Dionisio told Austria's public broadcaster ORF. Austria's President Alexander Van der Bellen called the attack "horrific." "No words can undo the suffering, the horror, the fear. My thoughts are with the family of the deceased victim and the injured," he posted on X. The Free Syrian Community of Austria issued a statement on Facebook distancing itself from the attack and expressing its deepest condolences to the victims' families. "We all had to flee Syria, our home country, because we were no longer safe there — no one left their country voluntarily. We are grateful to have found asylum and protection in Austria," the association said. "Finally, we would like to emphasize: Anyone who causes strife and disturbs the peace of society does not represent the Syrians who have sought and received protection here," the statement concluded. Dionisio said that a motive for the attack was not immediately known and police were investigating the suspect's background. Carnival procession canceled as police gather evidence Villach, a popular tourist destination near the borders of Italy and Slovenia, is known for its laid-back atmosphere, which blends Mediterranean and Alpine traditions. The city hosts annual carnival processions in March and an event on Saturday was canceled in the wake of the attack. The Austrian Ministry of Interior activated a platform for witnesses to upload videos or photos related to the attack. Interior Minister Gerhard Karner is expected in Villach on Sunday for a press conference. Local authorities said a crisis response team will be available to support pupils when schools open on Monday. The victims were all men, with two seriously wounded and two sustaining minor injuries, police said. Later Saturday, police said a fifth person was also injured. Peter Kaiser, the governor of the province of Carinthia, expressed his condolences to the family of the 14-year-old. "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," he said. Calls to strengthen migration rules Far-right leader Herbert Kickl wrote on X that he is "appalled by the horrific act in Villach" and called for a rigorous crackdown on asylum. "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," 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 its election platform. 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." "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, "Crimes like this one simply should not happen in our society."
Reuters
16-02-2025
- Politics
- Reuters
Three in intensive care after deadly Austrian knife attack
VIENNA, Feb 16 (Reuters) - Three victims of a deadly stabbing rampage in the Austrian town of Villach were in intensive care on Sunday as the political fallout from the attack by a suspected Syrian asylum-seeker spread. An attacker killed a 14-year-old Austrian and injured five other passers-by on Saturday afternoon. Police have arrested a 23-year-old man. The five injured are aged between 15 and 36. The eldest, who was only slightly injured, is Turkish and the remainder are Austrian citizens, police spokesperson Rainer Dionisio said. The bloodshed in Villach followed an attack on Thursday in Munich in neighbouring Germany by an Afghan national who drove his car into a crowd, injuring dozens, two of whom later died. Attacks like Saturday's are rare in Austria, and this one comes at a time of political tension since the far-right Freedom Party (FPO), which came first in September's parliamentary election, said last week it was unable to form a coalition government. Centrist parties are now discussing whether they could try to form a government while the president considers options including moving the country towards a snap election. 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 FPO's platform and appeal, and the party quickly seized on the Villach attack. "No migrant would be able to commit murder or any other crime in our country if they were not in Austria in the first place," Freedom Party leader Herbert Kickl said in a statement posted on his and the party's social media. Conservative Interior Minister Gerhard Karner is due to issue a statement to the media in Villach at 11:30 a.m. (1030 GMT).
