Syrian 'asylum seeker' involved in multiple stabbings in Austria
A knife assault in Villach, a southern Austrian city, on Saturday resulted in the death of one individual and injuries to at least four others. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
A teenager was killed and four others sustained injuries in a knife attack on Saturday in the city of Villach, located in southern Austria. The suspect, a 23-year-old Syrian national, was taken into custody by police shortly after the violent incident.
The victim, a 14-year-old boy, was confirmed dead by police spokesman Rainer Dionisio, who spoke to AFP. While authorities have not disclosed the suspect's name, they stated that he held a temporary “legal residence status” in Austria as he awaited a decision on his asylum application.
Dionisio reported that “A man randomly attacked passersby with a knife.” As of now, the motive for the attack and whether the suspect had any prior acquaintance with the victims remain unanswered questions.
Among the injured, two individuals suffered serious wounds, while the other two received minor injuries, as noted by the Austrian national broadcaster ORF. Police indicated that the attack was thwarted when a delivery worker drove his vehicle at the suspect, preventing further injury.
Eyewitness accounts suggest that the assailant shouted “Allahu Akbar” during the attack. Authorities have not dismissed the possibility of a second perpetrator being involved, and the investigation continues.
Unverified footage circulating on social media reportedly shows the suspect being confronted by an armed policewoman. In the video, the suspect appears to be smiling while raising the index finger of his right hand – a gesture often linked to the Muslim affirmation of faith, but also associated with Islamist extremists, including militants from the Islamic State.
This incident in Austria follows closely on the heels of a tragic car-ramming event at a trade union demonstration in Munich, Germany, that occurred just two days earlier. In that attack, a toddler and her mother lost their lives as a result of injuries sustained, with 37 others injured. An Afghan asylum seeker was arrested under suspicion of deliberately driving into the crowd, and police indicated that he might have been driven by hardline Islamist beliefs.
James del Carmen contributed to this report for TROIB News
The victim, a 14-year-old boy, was confirmed dead by police spokesman Rainer Dionisio, who spoke to AFP. While authorities have not disclosed the suspect's name, they stated that he held a temporary “legal residence status” in Austria as he awaited a decision on his asylum application.
Dionisio reported that “A man randomly attacked passersby with a knife.” As of now, the motive for the attack and whether the suspect had any prior acquaintance with the victims remain unanswered questions.
Among the injured, two individuals suffered serious wounds, while the other two received minor injuries, as noted by the Austrian national broadcaster ORF. Police indicated that the attack was thwarted when a delivery worker drove his vehicle at the suspect, preventing further injury.
Eyewitness accounts suggest that the assailant shouted “Allahu Akbar” during the attack. Authorities have not dismissed the possibility of a second perpetrator being involved, and the investigation continues.
Unverified footage circulating on social media reportedly shows the suspect being confronted by an armed policewoman. In the video, the suspect appears to be smiling while raising the index finger of his right hand – a gesture often linked to the Muslim affirmation of faith, but also associated with Islamist extremists, including militants from the Islamic State.
This incident in Austria follows closely on the heels of a tragic car-ramming event at a trade union demonstration in Munich, Germany, that occurred just two days earlier. In that attack, a toddler and her mother lost their lives as a result of injuries sustained, with 37 others injured. An Afghan asylum seeker was arrested under suspicion of deliberately driving into the crowd, and police indicated that he might have been driven by hardline Islamist beliefs.
James del Carmen contributed to this report for TROIB News
