A 14-year-old boy has died and three people remain in intensive care after a knife attack in Villach, Carinthia, which Austria’s interior minister described as motivated by Islamist extremism.
Speaking at a press conference on Sunday, Gerhard Karner said the suspect, a 23-year-old Syrian national who was granted asylum in 2020, had radicalised rapidly after following an Islamist influencer on TikTok.
Of the three people in intensive care, one is in a stable condition. Two others sustained minor injuries.
Authorities say the attacker told police he had acted in the name of the so-called Islamic State (IS). A search of his residence uncovered IS flags.
Bystander Intervenes
Police spokesman Rainer Dionisio said the suspect began stabbing people in Villach’s busy city centre shortly before 16:00 on Saturday, using a folding knife with a 10cm blade.
The attack was brought to an end when a witness, a 42-year-old food delivery driver from Syria, intervened by running the suspect over with his car.
“I was heading towards the city centre, and there were children on the street – I couldn’t let that happen,” he told Kronen Zeitung, adding that the chaotic scene caused confusion, with bystanders attacking his car because they thought he was “the villain.”
Renewed Calls For Increased Police Powers
The attack has reignited debate over Austria’s security laws, with Karner insisting that state security services must have the powers they need to act. The People’s Party (ÖVP), to which Karner belongs, has been pushing for greater surveillance of messaging services.
Carinthia’s governor, Peter Kaiser, has signalled support for such measures.
As an immediate response, the government announced random screenings of asylum beneficiaries from Syria and Afghanistan. However, implementing such a measure could prove difficult. In the past five years, more than 81,000 people from the two countries have been granted asylum or subsidiary protection, according to official figures.
Political and Religious Reaction
The attack has been widely condemned across Austria, with the Islamic Religious Community (IGGÖ) describing it as a “treacherous and abhorrent act.”
“These violent crimes, committed under the false pretext of Islam, have nothing in common with the true values of our faith,” said IGGÖ President Ümit Vural.
President Alexander Van der Bellen condemned the attack as “horrific,” while Interim Chancellor Alexander Schallenberg said he was “deeply shaken.”
Green Party leader Werner Kogler said the attacker must face “the full force of the law,” while NEOS head Beate Meinl-Reisinger insisted extremism and violence must not be given “even a millimetre of space.”
Meanwhile, Herbert Kickl, leader of the far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ), renewed his call for a “fortress Austria” – his vision of a country where immigration and asylum are tightly controlled, and deportations are the norm.
Week of Mourning Declared
The city of Villach has declared a week of mourning and announced a memorial event. All official events have been cancelled, and residents have been urged to do the same.
A memorial site has been set up at the Stadtbrücke (City Bridge), where people can lay candles and flowers.
