A stabbing attack in Austria, allegedly carried out by a Syrian asylum seeker, has left a 14-year-old boy dead and four others injured. Reports indicate that the attack occurred near the city’s main square, where the 23-year-old Syrian national living in Austria allegedly used a folding knife to stab three teenage boys and two men, aged 28 and 32.
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According to ABC News, the suspect, whose identity remains undisclosed, is accused of stabbing five individuals near food stands around 4 p.m. local time. He now reportedly faces charges of murder and attempted murder.
It is still unclear if the attacker had any connection to the victims, according to Rainer Dionisio, a spokesperson for the Carinthia police, per Reuters. Dionisio reported that two of the stabbing victims remain hospitalized in serious condition.
The suspect was caught with the help of a Syrian civilian who used a car to stop him, according to Paul Eidenberger, spokesperson for the Austrian Federal Police.
During a Sunday morning press conference, officials stated that the suspect’s actions were driven by an “Islamic terror motive.”
The Stabbing Suspect Sustained Minor Injuries After Being Struck by a Car
The attack occurred around 4 p.m. local time near food stands in the bustling public area of the town’s main square, police reported.
The attack left five Austrian citizens injured, including two 16-year-old boys who suffered serious injuries. According to police, the other victims, aged 28 and 32, sustained minor injuries.
The suspect sustained minor injuries after being struck by a civilian’s car. Police reported that two officers apprehended him without encountering any resistance.
State governor Peter Kaiser thanked the 42-year-old Syrian man, a food delivery worker, who drove toward the suspect and helped stop further casualties. “This shows how closely terrorist evil but also human good can be united in one and the same nationality,” Kaiser said, per ABC News.
Villach is best known for its vibrant carnival and becomes a popular tourist spot in the summer due to one of Austria’s famous lakes. Outside of the summer season, however, the city is often overlooked.
The tragedy in Villach occurred shortly after an attack in Munich earlier this week, where an Afghan national drove his car into a crowd, injuring dozens and resulting in the deaths of two individuals. Incidents like these are exceedingly rare in Austria. The country’s most devastating attack in recent decades took place in Vienna in 2020, when a jihadist killed four people in a deadly shooting spree.