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Austria Terror Attacks Leave Several Dead and Wounded

By Stefan J. Bos, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – Austria’s Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said late Monday his Alpine nation is a victim of a “despicable terror attack” after gunfire killed and injured several people in Vienna, the capital.

Suspected terrorists armed with rifles opened fire in six different locations in central Vienna, including around the city’s main synagogue.

Authorities said the terrorist attack left at least two dead — including one of the assailants — and 15 wounded.

The gunfire began Monday night as people enjoyed the last night out at Vienna’s cafes and restaurants before a coronavirus lockdown began.

“We are victims of a despicable terror attack in the federal capital that is still ongoing,” Chancellor Kurz warned.

ATTACKER ‘NEUTRALIZED’

“One of the perpetrators was neutralized, but several perpetrators appear to still be on the loose,” he said. “They seem to also, as far as we know, be very well equipped, with automatic weapons. So they were very well prepared.”

Police said several shots were fired shortly after 8 p.m. (1900 GMT) on a lively street in the city center and six shooting locations.

Unverified footage on social media showed gunmen walking through the streets, apparently shooting at people at random, wounding several.

Witness Chris Zhao was in a nearby restaurant when the shooting started. “We heard noises that sounded like firecrackers. We heard about 20 to 30, and we thought that to be actually gunfire. We saw the ambulances… lining up. There were victims. Sadly, we also saw a body lying down the street next to us.”

The shootings took place near Vienna’s central synagogue.

MANY HOSPITALIZED

One of the victims was killed at the scene of the shootings while a second – a woman – died later in hospital from her wounds, Mayor Michael Ludwig said.

It is believed 14 other people remain in hospital, six in a severe condition.

Though it was not clear whether the synagogue was specifically targeted, the shooting was expected to add to anxiety among Vienna’s 15,000 Jewish people. There have been concerns about rising anti-Jewish sentiments in Europe.

Jewish community leader Oskar Deutsch said the synagogue was closed at the time the attack began at 20:00 (19:00 GMT).

Interior Minister Karl Nehammer warned people to stay away from the center of the city, adding that border checks were being reinforced and that children would not be required to attend school on Tuesday.

ARMY DEPLOYED

We have brought several special forces units together that are now searching for the presumed terrorists. I am therefore not limiting it to an area of Vienna, because these are mobile perpetrators,” Nehammer earlier told broadcaster ORF.Kurz said the army would protect sites in Vienna so police could focus on anti-terror operations. Speaking to ORF, he said the attackers “were very well equipped with automatic weapons” and had “prepared professionally.”

The overnight shootings came while Europe was still on edge after several terror attacks in France.

Last month three people were killed in a church in Nice, while two weeks earlier, a teacher was beheaded for showing Prophet Muhammad cartoons to students.

Police in the neighboring Czech Republic said they had launched random checks on the border with Austria amid fears that the gunmen might head in that direction

European leaders strongly condemned the shooting. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he was “deeply shocked by the terrible attacks.”