Vienna terror attack: Austrians shut in as terrorists on loose
The terrorist shot dead by police ‘felt close’ to Islamic State, Austria’s interior minister says, as the death toll from the attack rises to three.
Terrified Austrians were told to stay inside, schools closed and transport shut down as a nationwide manhunt to find the Islamic State terrorist cell responsible for Monday night’s murderous and “repulsive’’ rampage through central Vienna continued.
Four people including a woman were killed when the terrorists, armed with military-grade assault weapons, began shooting at bars and restaurants near the Seitenstettengasse, where the city’s Jewish synagogue is located, and nearby Schwedenplatz.
Witnesses say restaurants slammed doors shut and people dropped to the ground to hide as the attackers roamed the cobbled Old City section where patrons were enjoying the last hours of freedom before more restrictive coronavirus measures came into place at midnight.
“We heard the shots, and then straight away it was ‘lights off, doors closed’ and all the guests lay down on the floor. The fear among people is insane,” one diner said.
Police said 15 people were seriously injured, including a police officer, and the attacks took place at six locations involving multiple attackers.
Mobile phone footage appears to show one of the killers, dressed in loose off-white clothing, shooting as he walks down a street.
Video shows terrorist shooting pic.twitter.com/CRcm9Aehpw
— Baruch (@baruchb11) November 2, 2020
In one video a police officer is shot at and in another a gunman in light clothing callously shoots at a young man who is trapped against a shop window. The killer returns to ensure the man is dead by shooting at him again with a pistol.
Three hours after the attack four people were arrested at Graben, near St Stephen’s Cathedral.
Vienna police killed an attacker wearing a fake suicide vest in a shootout shortly after the deadly spree began at 8pm local time (6am Tuesday AEDT) and later found Islamic State material in his apartment.
He was named as Kujtim Fejzulai, 20. He had North Macedonian-Austrian citizenship and had been jailed for trying to travel to Syria to join Islamic State.
I am deeply shocked by the terrible attacks in Vienna tonight. The UK’s thoughts are with the people of Austria - we stand united with you against terror.
— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) November 2, 2020
Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said in a national address: ‘‘It is of course a very tense security situation, especially in the federal capital Vienna. While we pursue them, they are very well equipped. So automatic weapons, very professionally prepared. It is definitely a terrorist attack.’’
We pray for, and stand firm with, our Austrian friends against acts of violence, terror and intimidation, and all they seek to undermine.
— Scott Morrison (@ScottMorrisonMP) November 3, 2020
He added that the situation was still confusing and an anti-Semitic background to the attack could not be ruled out.
“What we know for sure is that there are several suspects, one of whom has so far been eliminated, but some information is still on its way and the danger has therefore not yet been completely averted.”
Mr Kurz had also tweeted: “Our police will take decisive action against the perpetrators of this repulsive terrorist attack … We will never allow ourselves to be intimidated by terrorism and will fight these attacks resolutely by all means.”
Our prayers are with the people of Vienna after yet another vile act of terrorism in Europe. These evil attacks against innocent people must stop. The U.S. stands with Austria, France, and all of Europe in the fight against terrorists, including radical Islamic terrorists.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 3, 2020
Scott Morrison condemned the “cowardly attacks’’ and urged Australians in Austria to follow local authorities’ instructions.
The Prime Minister contacted Mr Kurz to tell him: “We stand with the people of Austria as they, even at this time, are working through a very uncertain and fluid situation.”
The Austrian military has been drafted in to help the police and tighten the country’s borders, as police flooded the city centre and pieced together the attack and timings to work out how many attackers were involved.
Interior Minister Karl Nehammer said of the dead attacker: “This is a radicalised person who felt close to Islamic State. It appears to have been a terror attack.”
He warned people to stay indoors because the perpetrators were “heavily armed and dangerous”.
“’We have brought several special forces units together that are now searching for the presumed terrorists,’’ Mr Nehammer said.
“I am therefore not limiting it to an area of Vienna because these are mobile perpetrators.’’
The attack was immediately condemned by French President Emmanuel Macron, whose country has suffered two violent attacks in recent weeks, including the beheadings of a schoolteacher and three people killed inside a church.
“We, the French, share the shock and sadness of the Austrians after an attack in Vienna,’’ he said. “After France, it is a friendly country that is under attack. This is our Europe. Our enemies need to know who they are dealing with. We won’t give in to anything.’’
The dead attacker has been identified as 20 year old Austrian of Albanian descent, Kujtim Fejzulai, who was released early from prison on terror charges because of his age. Fejzulai was jailed in April 2019 because he wanted to join Islamic State but was released just seven months later.
CONFIRMED at the moment:
— POLIZEI WIEN (@LPDWien) November 2, 2020
*08:00 pm: several shots fired, beginning at Seitenstettengasse
*several suspects armed with rifles
*six different shooting locations
* one deceaced person, several injured (1 officer included)
*1 suspect shot and killed by police officers #0211w
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