Austria’s Kurz vows ‘decisive action’ after Vienna attacks

Austria’s Chancellor Sebastian Kurz has vowed “decisive action” against the perpetrators of terrorist attacks in Vienna that left four people dead and a number of others injured.

Kurz told ORF that the attackers “were very well-equipped, with automatic weapons” and had “prepared professionally.”

Earlier, he said that the army would take over some police duties and protect major buildings in the capital, Vienna, in order to let officers focus on anti-terror operations.

“Our police will act decisively against the perpetrators of this repulsive terror attack,” Kurz said in a statement posted on Twitter late on Monday night. “We will never be intimidated by terrorism and we will fight this attack with all means.”

A number of gunmen opened fire in six different locations in central Vienna on Monday. Vienna’s police chief said at a news conference on Tuesday that two men and a woman died in the attacks. Broadcaster ORF later reported that a fourth victim, a woman, had also died.

According to a Health Association spokeswoman, the attack also left 17 people wounded. Seven of them were in a critical, life-threatening condition.

Austrian Interior Minister Karl Nehammer said in a televised press conference on Tuesday that the attacker shot dead by police had been a Daesh sympathizer. He said the attacker was also wearing a fake explosive belt.

The minister further said that video material had been seized from the home of the attacker during a search and police were probing his potential connections.

According to the editor of Vienna’s Falter newspaper, the assailant who was shot dead was known to domestic intelligence agencies as he was one of 90 Austrian Takfiris who wanted to travel to fight in Syria.

The editor, Florian Klenk, identified the assailant as Kurtin S., a 20-year-old who was born and raised in Vienna but who had “Albanian roots.”

Nehammer also repeated calls for the public to stay at home as police were still hunting for the other assailants.

A police spokesman said that at least 1,000 officers were involved in the huge manhunt.

APA said multiple homes had been searched and arrests had been made, citing the Interior Ministry.

The US-based SITE Intelligence Group, which claims to monitor Takfiri groups online, has said Takfiri militants have claimed responsibility for the shootings.

It said that the groups asserted that the Vienna attack was “part of the bill” Austria owes for its involvement in the US-led military coalition purportedly fighting the Daesh terrorist group in Syria and Iraq.

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