Syrian asylum seeker stabbing in Austria was an 'Islamist attack'

VIENNA,— Austria’s interior minister said Sunday that a stabbing attack in the southern city of Villach that left one teenager dead and five others injured was an act of Islamist extremism.

Interior Minister Gerhard Karner stated that the suspect, a 23-year-old Syrian asylum seeker, had been radicalized online and carried out the attack with alleged ties to the Islamic State (IS) group.

The attack took place Saturday in the center of Villach, located in the province of Carinthia. According to authorities, the suspect attacked pedestrians with a folding knife before being stopped by a Syrian food delivery driver who rammed him with a car.

A 14-year-old boy was fatally stabbed, and five other victims—two 15-year-olds and three men—were injured, including two in serious condition, police said.

The suspect, who holds a valid residence permit and has no prior criminal record, was taken into custody immediately after the attack.

At the scene of the attack, residents placed candles in front of local shops in remembrance of the victims. Some hugged each other, visibly shaken.

“I am afraid for my children. I fear for the future,” local resident Tanja Planinschek told AFP. “We must open our eyes and see who we allow in and what freedoms we give.”

The food delivery driver who intervened, identified as 42-year-old Alaaeddin Alhalabi, told Krone newspaper that he did not hesitate to act.

“I saw a person lying on the ground, and another attacking pedestrians. I didn’t think twice—I drove at him,” he said. “He was heading toward the city center, where there were children. I couldn’t let that happen.”

Another eyewitness, identified as Mahir, 29, described the scene as “like a movie.” He told Krone that the attacker had initially argued with people before suddenly lashing out.

“We tried to hold him down, but then we saw the knife and backed away. He went after everyone,” he said.

Carinthia’s governor, Peter Kaiser of the Social Democratic Party, condemned the attack and called for the “harshest consequences” for those responsible.

Far-right Freedom Party (FPO) leader Herbert Kickl, whose party won Austria’s national elections in September but failed to form a government, called for a tougher stance on asylum policies.

Austria is home to nearly 100,000 Syrian refugees. Following the recent ouster of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad in December, Austria and several European nations paused asylum applications to reassess policies. The Austrian government has also halted family reunifications and issued at least 2,400 letters revoking refugee status.

The interior ministry confirmed it is working on a program for repatriation and deportation to Syria.

Saturday’s attack in Villach follows a similar incident in Munich, Germany, where an Afghan Muslim asylum seeker allegedly rammed a car into a crowd, killing a two-year-old girl and her mother and injuring 37 others. German authorities suspect extremist motives.

Austria has experienced only one previous jihadist attack. In 2020, an IS sympathizer carried out a shooting in downtown Vienna, killing four people before being shot dead by police.

The investigation into the Villach attack is ongoing. Authorities have not disclosed whether additional suspects are being considered.

(With files from AFP)