A stabbing in Austria that killed a 14-year-old boy and wounded 5 others was an Islamist assault, Austrian officers have mentioned.
The assault occurred on Saturday at Villach, a city close to the border with Italy and Slovenia.
A 23-year-old Syrian asylum seeker was detained on the scene.
Inside Minister Gerhard Karner mentioned an Islamic State group flag had been present in his house, whereas state police chief Michaela Kohlweiss mentioned he had sworn allegiance to the group.
Talking at a information convention on Sunday, Karner mentioned this was an “Islamist assault with IS hyperlinks by an attacker who, in keeping with the investigations to this point, was clearly radicalised on-line, by way of the web, inside a really quick area of time.
“So these ready of responsibility, the police, the authorities, should draw the required conclusions from that.”
Karner mentioned the suspect had a legitimate residence allow, no felony document, and had not beforehand attracted the eye of authorities.
Authorities beforehand mentioned the suspect had a brief residence allow and was ready for a choice on his asylum software.
The assault occurred round 4:00 close to the city’s most important sq..
Three of the 5 folks injured within the stabbing are nonetheless receiving hospital deal withment. Two of them had been in a critical situation as of Saturday night.
A supply employee, additionally a Syrian man, who had pushed his automobile on the attacker helped stop extra accidents, police mentioned.
The assault comes amid a nationwide debate over asylum legal guidelines and an election final yr that noticed the far-right Freedom Social gathering come out on prime for the primary time.
The celebration has didn’t type a coalition authorities, leaving Austria’s President Alexander Van der Bellen weighing up whether or not to name a snap election, type a minority authorities or invite different events or a gaggle of specialists to attempt to type an administration.
Herbert Kickl, the top of the Freedom Social gathering, seized on the Villach assault, saying on Saturday that Austria wants a “rigorous crackdown on asylum”.
—BBC
