Austria has confirmed that a recent attack that killed a 14-year-old boy and wounded five others was linked to the Islamic State (IS) group. The stabbing occurred on Saturday in Villach, near the border with Italy and Slovenia, leaving three of those injured in intensive care.
The 23-year-old Syrian asylum seeker, who is being held, has been charged with murder and attempted murder. Authorities found an IS flag in his apartment and he had sworn allegiance to the group online.
Interior Minister Gerhard Karner stated that the attack was an “Islamist attack with IS links” and attributed it to radicalization via the internet within a short period of time. He emphasized the need for authorities to draw necessary conclusions from this incident.
The victim who died was a teenager, while those injured included two 15-year-olds and three adults aged 28, 32, and 36. Five are Austrian nationals, one is Turkish, and a delivery worker – also Syrian – intervened to help prevent further injuries.
This attack comes amidst a national debate on asylum laws and an election last year that saw the far-right Freedom Party come out on top for the first time. The party’s leader, Herbert Kickl, called for stricter crackdowns on asylum seekers from Syria and Afghanistan, while Interior Minister Karner suggested “legal reforms” for police and authorities to address such incidents.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cjw4jj0p5jdo