Austria’s Interior Minister says Villach attacker linked to ISIS
DAMASCUS, Syria (North Press) – Austrian Minister of Interior Gerhard Karner revealed on Sunday that the suspect in the Saturday stabbing attack in the city of Villach is linked to the Islamic State (ISIS).
Speaking to reporters, Karner stated that the attack, which resulted in one fatality and five injuries, was connected to ISIS, noting that the suspect had rapidly adopted extremist views online.
On Saturday, a 23-year-old Syrian asylum seeker carried out a knife attack in a Villach street, which left a 14-year-old boy dead and several others injured.
Social media activists shared a photo they claimed showed the young Syrian smiling as an Austrian police officer tried to stop him.
Police spokesman Rainer Dionisio confirmed that a man had randomly attacked passersby with a knife in Villach, reiterating the tragic death of the 14-year-old.
He added that a delivery worker who witnessed the attack intervened by throwing his bike at the assailant, who sustained minor injuries and subsequently halted his assault.