Syrian Youth Supporter of Islamic State Stabs in Austria, One Teenager Killed, 5 Injured
Villach, Austria, February 16 (Reuters): A 23-year-old Syrian asylum seeker linked to a stabbing attack in Austria's Villach on Saturday is suspected of being a supporter of the Islamic State (IS). The attack resulted in the death of a 14-year-old boy and left five others injured, according to the police.
Syrian Youth Supporter of Islamic State Stabs in Austria, One Teenager Killed, 5 Injured
Syrian Youth Supporter of Islamic State Stabs in Austria, One Teenager Killed, 5 Injured
Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner stated that the arrested Syrian youth was rapidly radicalized online, and an Islamic State flag was found in his apartment. Authorities confirmed that he had pledged allegiance to IS.
This incident follows a thwarted terrorist plot in Austria in August, where a teenager, who had pledged loyalty to IS, planned a suicide attack at a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna.
Additionally, it occurs just days after an attack in Munich, Germany, where an Afghan national drove his car into a crowd, injuring many, two of whom later died.
The bloody attack in Villach has occurred amid political tensions in Austria, where the far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ) won the parliamentary election last September but has recently failed to form a government. Central parties are now discussing forming a new government, and the president is considering options, including a snap election.
FPÖ leader Herbert Kickl stated after the attack, "If no illegal migrant had come to our country, they would never have committed murder or any other crime."
The FPÖ has also taken a strong stance in favor of increasing refugee repatriations to countries such as Syria and Afghanistan, which is currently illegal.
