At least 3 people and 15 were wounded during a terror attack in Vienna on Monday evening, hours before the nationwide lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Reports say that gunmen open fired near Seitenstettengasse Temple, Vienna’s main synagogue, which was located in its shopping and dining district. One of the suspect that the police shot dead was wearing a fake explosive belt and is believed to be a sympathizer of terrorist group, ISIS (Islamic State in Iraq and Syria). At the moment, authorities are not sure yet who or what was being targeted by the gunmen but announcements were already made, instructing the public to refrain from sharing “rumors, accusations, speculations or unconfirmed numbers of victims” and “to stay at home or in a safe place” as the gunmen are heavily armed.
The New York Times: A gunman killed by the police was an Islamic State “sympathizer,” the interior minister said
According to Karl Nehammer, Austria’s interior minister, one gunman which the police shot was an Islamic State “sympathizer”, although he did not disclose the name.
In a report by The New York Times, authorities have disclosed the possibility that the slain gunman had acted alone, though they had previously said there were multiple attackers.
The shootings took place in the heart of the Austrian capital, hours before the midnight start of a nationwide lockdown to stem the spread of the Coronavirus. But more shooting were heard across Vienna’ First district as the night wore on. Emergency vehicles blocked off streets, and a streetcar line through the area was shut down.
CNN: The Austrian capital remains on high alert following the incident, which saw gunmen open fire at six locations
CNN shares that during a press conference early on Tuesday morning, the Interior Minister, Karl Nehammer, said the attacker shot dead by police was wearing a fake explosive belt at the time of the attack and had been “radicalized,” which means that the person is an IS sympathizer.
He added that police had used explosives to enter the attacker’s residence and were investigating its surroundings.
Armed forces have been deployed in Vienna to help secure the situation, with authorities indicating earlier in the evening that at least one gunman remains on the loose.
Authorities had warned that the gunmen are “heavily armed” and have asked the public to stay at home or in a safe place and follow the news.
