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Five people were killed after heavily armed men opened fire at six different locations, Monday, in the city center of Vienna, Austria. Seventeen others were injured in the same attack. One of the five people killed is one of the attackers, who was shot dead by the police.
According to the BBC, the attack began at about 8:00 pm, near the Seitenstettengasse synagogue. The men opened fire on people sitting in cafes in restaurants.
Interior Minister Karl Nehammer said during a news conference that the attacker who was killed by police was an Islamic State sympathizer. «His home had been searched and video material seized», the same source added.
Further details suggest that the attacker was 20 years old and had north Macedonian roots. According to Nehammer, he was a citizen of both Macedonia and Austria and had a criminal record related to terrorist activity.
The Minister also reported that during the attack, the attacker carried an automatic rifle, a handgun, a machete and was wearing a fake explosive belt, the Guardian reports.
People asked to avoid central Vienna
Police in Vienna are searching for the other assailant, who is believed to be on the run. Other official sources in the country say that there could have been as many as four attackers.
The Interior Minister urged people to avoid central Vienna and stay home on Tuesday if they could.
Reacting to the attack, Austrian chancellor Sebastian Kurz said on her Twitter account that «police will act decisively against the perpetrators of this hideous terrorist attack». «We will never allow ourselves to be intimidated by terrorism», he said.
On Tuesday, Austrian authorities announced that 15 house raids were conducted across the Vienna and Saint Polten, leading to the arrested of several people.
