2018 Vienna embassy stabbing
On 11 March 2018, a man committed a stabbing attack against an Austrian soldier in front of the Iranian embassy in Vienna. Authorities announced that the man had radical Islamist sympathies.
Incidents
On 11.30 pm on 11 March 2018, an Austrian soldier was attacked with a knife in front of the Iranian embassy in Vienna which he guarded. The soldier was stabbed repeatedly and injured, but his life was saved by the stab-proof vest he was wearing. The attacker was shot dead.[1] Security was stepped up at diplomatic missions across the city, because the police feared that other people may have been involved in the attack. A police spokesman said that the soldier was only saved by a stab-proof vest: "They started a fight because the aggressor was too close and the soldier shot him at least four times with his handgun." The attacker’s home was searched and his internet activities were reviewed.[2][1]
Local residents were in shock about the recent stabbings, which included another knife attack a few days before.[3]
Perpetrator
The perpetrator was a 26-year-old Austrian of Egyptian origin. Authorities said he sympathized with radical Islamist ideology, but the exact motive was subject to further investigation.[3][2]
Reactions
On 13 March the Austrian Interior Minister Herbert Kickl announced that Austria will change its asylum policy because of this and other incidents - among them a pair of stabbings committed by an Afghan immigrant on 7 March, 2018 - in the recent days, saying: "We need courageous approaches... The current asylum law will no longer meet the demands of a globalized world." The Austrian government intends to use the EU Presidency in the second half of the year to win alliances in Europe on this issue.[4]
See also
- 2018 Vienna stabbing
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Knifeman shot dead outside home of Iran ambassador in Vienna, The Times
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Vienna knife attacker had radical Islamist sympathies, Austria says, Reuters.com
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Vienna locals express shock over stabbing spree, Euronews.com
- ↑ Österreich will nach blutigen Angriffen Asylrecht ändern, Die Welt, 13 March 2018
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