Syrian asylum seeker was 'laughing' as he stabbed 14-year-old boy to death and knifed several others in Austrian rampage
A Syrian asylum seeker who viciously stabbed a 14-year-old boy to death and knifed several others was seen 'laughing' as he went on a rampage through an Austrian city.
The 23-year-old man, named Ahmad G., shouted 'Allahu Akbar' before launching into the vicious attack.
The suspect was seen grinning at police officers while they surrounded him with weapons during his arrest in Villach, near the borders with Italy and Slovenia.
The assault, which lasted less than 10 minutes, saw five other people wounded and two of these rushed to hospital with serious injuries.
Austrian authorities have said they are investigating whether the suspect was aided by an accomplice and whether there was an Islamist motive behind the attack, which came just days after an Afghan bodybuilder fatally ploughed into a crowd of people in Munich.
Politicians in Austria have condemned the violence, with right wing parties laying the blame on the country's 'disastrous asylum policy', while Elon Musk blasted European leaders over immigration following the latest incident.
A 23-year-old Muslim stabbed 5 people in Austria, killing 1. Images of the arrest show the perp grinning with his finger raised in the Jihadist salute as armed police close in on him.
The man behind the attack, Ahmad G., is a Syrian national. He had been living in a centre for asylum seekers and was not known to authorities.
Police are investigating the attacker's personal background.
A manhunt is currently underway for any other potential suspects.
Witnesses said that the suspect was heard shouting 'Allahu Akbar'.
Police are seen after the knife attack near the main square in the city centre of Villach, southern Austria
Officers of the Austrian State Criminal Police
Police officers work at the scene where a 23-year-old man stabbed several people in the southern Austria city of Villach
The attack took place in the Austrian city of Villach near the city centre
The Austrian knife attack comes at a time of political upheaval in Austria.The Freedom Party, which came first in September's parliamentary election, railed against illegal immigration and pledged to increase deportations to countries like Syria and Afghanistan, which it is currently illegal in Austria to deport people to.
'We need a rigorous crackdown on asylum and cannot continue to import conditions like those in Villach,' Freedom Party leader Herbert Kickl said.
24,941 foreigners applied for asylum in Austria in 2024. The largest group of applicants came from Syria, followed by Afghanistan.
Over the past two years, the number of asylum seekers has decreased significantly. In 2022, applications peaked at over 100,000, while approximately 59,000 individuals sought asylum in 2023.
Several European countries, among them Austria, are suspending decisions on asylum claims by Syrian nationals.
Peter Kaiser, the governor of the Austrian province of Carinthia, spoke of the horrific attack in an X post.
'The unbelievable atrocity in Villach must have the harshest consequences! Anyone who lives in Carinthia, in Austria, must respect the law. Anyone who violates this must face the harshest consequences', he wrote.
Erwin Angerer, a lawmaker for the Freedom Party, said his party has long been warning about the situation in Austria as a result of the country's 'disastrous asylum policy.'
Conservative party leader Christian Stocker said on X that the attacker 'must be brought to justice and be punished with the full force of the law.'
'We all want to live in a safe Austria, adding that this means political measures need to be taken to 'avoid such acts of horror in the future,' he said.
The rampage comes just days after an Afghan refugee rammed a car into a crowd in Munich and injured 39 people. On Saturday, police confirmed a woman and her two-year-old daughter had died from their injuries.
Elon Musk blasted European immigration policies after the continent was hit with a second deadly attack by an asylum seeker this week
Musk made his stance on migration in Europe known after he re-shared a post from Dutch conservative political commentator Eva Vlaardingerbroek on social platform X
Musk retweeted an image of the grinning suspect and captioned it 'Terrible'
Elon Musk blasted European immigration policies after the continent was hit with its second deadly attack by an asylum seeker this week.
Within hours of the rampage, the Tesla founder and billionaire made his stance on migration in Europe known after he re-shared a post from Dutch conservative political commentator Eva Vlaardingerbroek on social platform X.
'It happened again. This Syrian migrant stabbed a 14 y/o Austrian boy to death and injured 5 others today in Villach, Austria', Vlaardingerbroek's tweet said.
'He proudly smiles after the fact. I wasn't exaggerating when I said this happens daily in Europe: A one-sided civil war is waged on us Europeans', she added.
In a separate post, Musk retweeted an image of the grinning suspect and captioned it 'Terrible'.
US Vice President JD Vance spoke at the Munich Security Conference on Friday.
In his anti-immigration speech, Vance attacked European leaders for their approach to migration.
'No voter on this continent went to the ballot box to open the floodgates to millions of unvetted immigrants,' he said.
Turning to the UK, he added: 'You know what they did vote for in England? They voted for Brexit and, agree or disagree, they voted for it.
Objects lying on the street at the scene in Munich, including a baby carriage. The baby and mother died.
'And more and more all over Europe, they're voting for political leaders who promised to put an end to out-of-control migration.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14402057/Syrian-asylum-seeker-laughing-stabbed-14-year-old-boy-death-knifed-Austrian-rampage-hero-reveals-bravely-stopped-attacker-Elon-Musk-slams-European-leaders-latest-Islamist-horror.html
Austria attacker swore allegiance to Islamic State before stabbing boy, 14, to death and knifing others in evil rampage
Austria's Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (left) said on Sunday that it was an 'Islamist attack with IS connections'
People mourning and comforting each other at a makeshift memorial of candles and flowers placed near the scene of the rampage
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14402975/Austria-attacker-swore-allegiance-Islamic-State-stabbing-boy-14-death-knifing-evil-rampage.html
The perp in the knife attack in Austria in which a 14-year-old boy was killed and five others injured was an “Islamist extremist attacker” who “had connections to Islamic State”, investigators have said.
He used a flick-knife with a 10in blade.
The 23-year-old bought the folding knife with which he attacked innocent bystanders just three days before the attack.
Police said Ahmad, who is being charged with murder and attempted murder, had recorded himself swearing an oath of allegiance to the IS terror group.
A photo taken after the attack showed Ahmad grinning and showing a single raised finger, a symbol of IS, which has launched multiple attacks in Germany and Austria in recent years.
Police found “clear indications of a radical Islamist ideology” such as an IS flag on his wall.
Austria has a Syrian refugee population of almost 100,000.
Austria has stopped family reunifications and sent out at least 2,400 letters to revoke refugee status.
Ahmad arrived in Austria in 2020, and was granted asylum the following year after successfully arguing that he would be drafted into military service in Syria.
The Syrian migrant laughed as he stabbed the 14-year-old boy to death.
He had served four days in a German prison, after being found with a fake ID on him.
As of Monday, he is in the Klagenfurt prison (Austria).
