The home of the suspect in the Vienna attack was shot dead by police has now been searched and video material seized
Two men and two women have sadly died following a terror attack in Vienna and 15 others have reportedly been seriously injured as a result of the attack, including a police officer.
Seven of the victims are currently in a life-threatening condition, the news agency APA have reported.
One terror suspect, who was armed with an assault rifle and was wearing a fake suicide vest, had been shot dead by police. It is thought that at least one other attacker may still be at large in Vienna.
The gunman attacked on Monday evening near Vienna’s main synagogue as many people were enjoying their last night of restaurants and bars being open before the start of a national COVID-19 lockdown.
Karl Nehammer, Austria’s interior minister, described the terror suspect as an IS sympathiser and said that the operation to track down any more suspects from the attack was still ongoing.
This comes after French police say that a woman has been decapitated in a suspected terror attack in Nice, France. Three people have reportedly died with several others having been injured after a knife attack took place near the Notre Dame church.
He added that special forces teams from neighbouring countries were aiding in the operation and that the home of the terror suspect killed by police has now been searched with video material having been seized from the property.
Mr Hofmeister said: “They were shooting at least 100 rounds just outside our building.
“All these bars have tables outside. As of midnight, all bars and restaurants will be closed in Austria for the next month, and a lot of people probably wanted to use that evening to be able to go out,” he added.
Eveline, a witness and student, said: “First we did not know what it was, but suddenly people, who were sitting in other guests’ gardens, started to run.”
“First we kept standing there because we did not know what was going on, then there was shooting again, but closer, so we started to run away. Because we did not know if we were running in the right direction, we ran into a hotel and hid there.”
Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said: “I am glad that our police were able to neutralise one of the attackers.”
“We will not never allow ourselves to be intimidated by terrorism and will fight these attacks with all means.”
This comes after the crew onboard an oil tanker which was involved in a suspected hijacking off the Isle of Wight are now safe, after a swift response from the SBS. Seven people were detained following about 16 Special Boat Service (SBS) commandos boarding the Nave Andromeda on Sunday night in order to regain control of the vessel.
Mr Kurz said these were “difficult hours for our republic” and vowed: “Our police will act decisively against the culprits of this despicable terror attack.”
French President Emmanuel Macron tweeted that the French “share the shock and grief of the Austrian people hit by an attack tonight”.
He wrote: “After France, this is a friendly country that has been attacked. This is our Europe… We will not give in.”
