Suspect in deadly stabbing attack in Austria motivated by ‘Islamic terrorism’, say authorities

From Sky News

A man accused of killing a 14-year-old boy and injuring five other people in a stabbing attack in Austria was motivated by “Islamic terrorism”, say authorities.

Austria’s interior minister Gerhard Karner said the suspect had alleged ties to the Islamic State group and radicalised himself online within a very short time period.

IS flags were discovered on the walls of the suspect’s apartment during a search, according to police.

Mobile phones were seized but no weapons or dangerous objects were found, they added.

Officers are looking into whether he had any accomplices but at the moment they believe he was a “lone perpetrator”.

Speaking about the attack in Villach, Mr Karner told reporters that he felt “anger about an Islamist attacker who indiscriminately stabbed innocent people here in this city”.

Austria’s president Alexander Van der Bellen called the attack “horrific”,

Also, far-right leader Herbert Kickl, whose Freedom Party of Austria won a national election four months ago, called for “a rigorous crackdown on asylum” in the wake of the attack.

Mr Karner said it will ultimately be necessary to “carry out a mass screening without cause because this assassin was not conspicuous”.

Meanwhile, a 42-year-old Syrian man helped prevent the situation from getting worse by driving towards the suspect. The man, who worked for a food delivery company, was thanked by state governor Peter Kaiser. “This shows how closely terrorist evil but also human good can be united in one and the same nationality,” Mr Kaiser said.

Three of the five people inured in the stabbing are still receiving hospital treatment.