On Saturday, a fatal knife attack occurred in Villach, Austria, resulting in one death and five injuries. Authorities revealed on Sunday that the suspect is a Syrian asylum seeker who has sworn allegiance to the Islamic State (ISIS) and displayed radical behavior online.
Following the attack on Saturday, the police described it as a random act of violence. According to information released by the police during a press conference on Sunday, the incident resulted in the death of a 14-year-old boy, with three individuals currently in critical condition in intensive care.
The 23-year-old Syrian male suspect was arrested by the police seven minutes after the first tip-off call was received. Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner stated at a press conference in Villach that the suspect exhibited radical behavior online, and ISIS flags were found in his apartment.
Authorities mentioned that the Syrian man, who is accused of murder and attempted murder, recorded a video pledging allegiance to ISIS. Karner expressed sadness and sympathy for the victims, adding, “At this moment, people often also feel anger, which is understandable. It is infuriating to have an Islamic attacker randomly stabbing innocent civilians in this town.”
He further emphasized that officials should have greater power to screen asylum seekers and should be able to conduct extensive checks in many areas.
Austrian authorities noted that if it weren’t for a delivery driver from a food distribution company who saw the attacker during the incident and drove towards him to stop him, the casualties in the attack could have been higher.
As of now, ISIS has not claimed responsibility for the attack. However, according to SITE Intelligence, ISIS-K, the Islamic State branch in Afghanistan, recently issued posts urging ISIS loyalists to carry out lone wolf attacks in the United States and Europe.
Christian Stocker, leader of the Austrian People’s Party, stated on the social media platform X that the attacker “must face justice and receive full legal punishment.”
“We all want to live in a secure Austria, which means taking political measures to prevent such acts of terror in the future,” he said.
Andreas Babler, leader of the Social Democrats, also commented on X, emphasizing the necessity of utilizing “the full force of the law.”
“Crimes like this should not occur in our society at all,” Babler remarked.
(References: Reuters and CNN)