Vienna police launched a manhunt Monday evening after a group of "professional" and "heavily armed"…
Breitbart By OLIVER JJ LANE, CHRIS TOMLINSON and JACK MONTGOMERY
Police in the Austrian capital of Vienna launched a manhunt Monday evening after a group of “professional” and “heavily armed” gunmen struck across the city.
Update Tuesday — Vienna gunman was ISIS sympathiser and had recently been released from prison
Vienna Gunman Was ISIS Sympathiser, Convicted Terrorist Released Early from Prison https://t.co/0rHNBQGxz7
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) November 3, 2020
Update 01:20 GMT — A second victim has died of gunshot wounds
Austrian newspaper OE24 has reported that a woman has died of gunshot wounds, increasing the total number of deaths as a result of the attack to two.
What we know so far — 0001 GMT
A terror attack struck the Austrian capital city of Vienna Monday evening, with several “very professional” and well-prepared “heavily armed” gunmen hitting across the downtown first district. Shots were fired at six distinct locations, leaving at least one member of the public dead and 15 wounded.
In addition to the known death toll, at least one terrorist was also shot dead on Monday night.
The attack is unusual in its scope — the vast majority of terror attacks on European soil are launched by ‘lone wolves’, most often radical Islamists. Monday night’s attack has officially been ongoing, according to the security services, at least five hours and an unknown number of terrorists remain at large. The gunmen have been at liberty so long, the search for them has now extended beyond Vienna itself and Austria’s northern neighbour the Czech Republic are searching cars at the border in case the attackers attempt to flee.
The motivation of the attack remains unclear. Initial reports stated the attack targeted a synagogue in the city, but the building was reportedly empty and locked when the attack began, and gunmen appear to have targeted revellers enjoying a last alcoholic drink before Austria went into a coronavirus lockdown.
Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said: Kurz said: “We will never allow ourselves to be intimidated by terrorism and will fight these attacks resolutely by all means… The whole country is in thoughts with the victims, injured and their families, to whom I express my deepest condolences.”
Update 2340 GMT — “Definitely a terrorist attack”
OE24’s Wien24 reports new remarks from Austrian leader Sebastian Kurz which reveals some important facts. Monday’s attackers are “very professionally” prepared and well armed, he said, and that the event was “definitely a terrorist attack”.
Further, there are still terrorists at large and it isn’t even clear if Austrian citizens will be able to leave their houses on Tuesday as the hunt goes on. The exact motivation for the attack remains unconfirmed.
15 injured are being treated in Vienna hospitals.
Update 2255 GMT — Boris Johnson offers Britain’s “thoughts” to Austrians
Prime Minister Boris Johnson says he is “deeply shocked by the terrible attacks in Vienna tonight.”
He added that his country’s “thoughts” are with the Austrian people, rather than the more traditional “thoughts and prayers”, and that “we stand united with you against terror.”
I am deeply shocked by the terrible attacks in Vienna tonight. The UK’s thoughts are with the people of Austria – we stand united with you against terror.
— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) November 2, 2020
Update 2240 GMT — “Still active”… perpetrators “heavily armed and dangerous”
Vienna police continue to tweet out advice to residents and visitors, particularly to stay indoors and avoid public places. The latest such communication reveals the situation is “still active”, which may imply officers are not yet confident they have all attackers in custody.
The Austrian interior minister, Karl Nehammer, appears to confirm this, saying that the attack is ongoing with officers still searching for gunmen. The attack has now b’Heavily Armedeen active for approximately three and a half hours. Der Standard reports his comments that “We are still dealing with an ongoing terrorist attack” and that several attackers are still on the move. Worse still, those attackers are “heavily armed and dangerous”.
The minister appealed to Austrians to stay at home.
Coincidentally, Austria’s new coronavirus lockdown begins in 20 minutes time.
Austrian interior minister says there is an still an “ongoing terrorist situation in Vienna” Heavily armed, dangerous attackers he says. Tells people to stay indoors. Asks people with videos and photos to send them to security services and not to make public #Vienna #Wien
— Katya Adler (@BBCkatyaadler) November 2, 2020
Update 2235 GMT — “We will never allow ourselves to be intimidated by terrorism”
Austrian chancellor (Prime Minister) Sebastian Kurz has spoken out, noting his pleasure at the police having killed one of the perpetrators. The conservative leader said the army would relieve the police of some duties, such as protecting government and sensitive buildings in Vienna, so officers could be released to counter-terrorism duties.
Kurz said: “We will never allow ourselves to be intimidated by terrorism and will fight these attacks resolutely by all means… The whole country is in thoughts with the victims, injured and their families, to whom I express my deepest condolences.”
The chancellor called Monday’s events a “disgusting terror attack”.
Wir erleben gerade schwere Stunden in unserer Republik. Ich möchte allen Einsatzkräften danken, die insbesondere heute für unsere Sicherheit ihr Leben riskieren. Unsere Polizei wird entschlossen gegen die Täter dieses widerwärtigen Terroranschlags vorgehen.
— Sebastian Kurz (@sebastiankurz) November 2, 2020
Update 2230 GMT — France’s Macron extends condolences to Vienna
French President Emmanuel Macron has issued a response to the apparent terror attack in the Austrian capital.
“We, French, share the shock and sadness of the Austrians after an attack in Vienna. After France, it is a friendly country that is under attack,” said the French leader, referring to a recent radical Islamic terror attack on a church in Nice and the public beheading of a schoolteacher who had shown images of the Islamic prophet in class.
“This is our Europe. Our enemies need to know who they are dealing with,” Macron declared.
“We won’t give in to anything.”
Wir, Franzosen, teilen den Schock und die Trauer von der Österreicher nach einer Angriff in Wien. Nach Frankreich ist es ein befreundetes Land, das angegriffen wird. Dies ist unser Europa. Unsere Feinde müssen wissen, mit wem sie es zu tun haben. Wir werden nichts nachgeben.
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) November 2, 2020
Meanwhile, Michael Ludwig, Vienna’s left-wing mayor, has reacted to the apparent attack, saying he was “deeply shocked to receive information about the shooting in the inner city.”
“The pictures are shocking,” he said, adding that “A large-scale police operation is currently ongoing” and advising residents to “Please stay at home and keep calm.”
“If you are in the inner city area, stay indoors,” he warned.
Liebe Wienerinnen und Wiener!
Zutiefst bestürzt haben wir die Informationen über die Schießerei in der inneren Stadt erhalten. Die Bilder sind schockierend und machen uns fassungslos. Aktuell läuft noch immer ein Großeinsatz der Polizei. /1
— Michael Ludwig (@BgmLudwig) November 2, 2020
Update 2135 GMT — Ambulance service, police confirm fatalities
That there are multiple dead in Vienna tonight has been confirmed for the first time, reports Kurier, by the Viennese ambulance service who said there were “several dead and injured”. The service could not be more specific than that, they said, as “we are still in the process of getting an overview.”
Vienna’s police have also now confirmed some facts, including that there are now six separate “crime scenes” in the city, although whether that means six individual attacks it unclear. Nevertheless, the force also confirmed there are “several” suspects armed with rifles and that one person had died.
In a positive development, police sources say previous claims about a hostage-taking situation reported in Austrian newspapers was a “social media bubble” and have not been confirmed.
CONFIRMED at the moment:
*08:00 pm: several shots fired, beginning at Seitenstettengasse
*several suspects armed with rifles
*six different shooting locations
* one deceaced person, several injured (1 officer included)
*1 suspect shot and killed by police officers #0211w— POLIZEI WIEN (@LPDWien) November 2, 2020
A police officers walk near ambulances at the scene after gunshots were heard, in Vienna, Monday, Nov. 2, 2020. Austrian police say several people have been injured and officers are out in force following gunfire in the capital Vienna. Initial reports that a synagogue was the target of an attack couldn’t immediately be confirmed. Austrian news agency APA quoted the country’s Interior Ministry saying one attacker has been killed and another could be on the run.(Photo/Ronald Zak)
Police officers walk between emergency vehicles at the scene after gunshots were heard, in Vienna, Monday, Nov. 2, 2020. (Photo/Ronald Zak)
In this image made from video, police at the scene after gunshots were heard, in Vienna, Monday, Nov. 2, 2020. (AP Photo)
Update 2100 GMT — Austrian interior minister speaks of a terror attack
Austria’s national public service broadcaster Österreichischer Rundfunk (ORF) reports the remarks of the nation’s interior minister Karl Nehammer, who has said the police are treating today’s incident as a terrorist attack with several perpetrators. Further details from the interior minister are that one attacker is dead, one has been arrested, and one police officer was been shot with a rifle.
https://twitter.com/krone_at/status/1323364769072664576?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1323364769072664576%7Ctwgr%5Eshare_2&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.breitbart.com%2Feurope%2F2020%2F11%2F02%2Fterrorism-one-dead-several-injured-by-multiple-gunmen-in-vienna%2F
