A young Portuguese-Luxembourg national is in hospital today following the horror of a new ‘Islamic terror’ attack, this time in Vienna, Austria.
Coming in the wake of recent attacks in France, two (possibly more) gunmen opened fire on people as hundreds were enjoying the last balmy night on outside terraces of bars and restaurants in the inner city before a newly-imposed lockdown .
Four people were killed – including one of the gunmen – 17 are in hospital – at least seven of which are described as having ‘life threatening injuries’.
It’s unclear what the condition of the young Portuguese-Luxembourger is.
Portugal is “accompanying the evolution of his state of health”, says a source for the office of the Secretary of State for the Portuguese Communities, while the emergency consular office is in ‘articulation with authorities in Luxembourg’.
Sending his condolences to Austrian president Alexander Van der Bellen, President Marcelo has reaffirmed his “repudiation for all acts of violence” and “conviction” that the terrorists “will not achieve their objectives”.
The hunt remains active for at least one other shooter (no one is certain how many there were), as residents are being told to remain in their homes (see update below).
The attack began around 8pm last night in a busy street close to Vienna’s largest synagogue. The gunmen then spread through the city, shooting at people.
Says the BBC: “Two men and two women were shot dead.
“Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said those victims were an elderly woman, an elderly man, a young male passer-by and a waitress.
“It was clearly an attack driven by “hatred of our way of life, our democracy”, the chancellor said.
He earlier spoke of a “repulsive terror attack”.
“The nation was engaged not in a battle between Christians and Muslims, he stressed, but “between civilisation and barbarism”.
The gunman shot dead has been described as “ a 20-year-old “Islamist terrorist”, released early from jail in December.
UPDATE:
Austrian police have arrested 14 people in connection now with Monday’s attack. It is understood that at least one of them is the second gunman.
