Austrian authorities announce a terrorist attack in Vienna … and report 7 people killed

Austrian authorities announced a terrorist attack in central Vienna on Monday night amid reports that 7 people were killed in a shooting near the city’s largest synagogue, while police confirmed the implementation of a comprehensive security operation.

Austrian Interior Minister Karl Nihamer confirmed that several people were killed and injured in the shooting, noting that authorities believe it represents a terrorist attack.

Nihamer added that the operation is still ongoing, emphasizing that the attack involved a group of people, according to Russia Today.

For its part, a spokesman for the Interior Ministry announced that the Vienna attack included 6 different sites, all located near the synagogue.

The channel “OE24” cited police sources who affirmed that the attack killed 7 people and injured others, pointing out that it was carried out by a group of armed men, one of whom was killed, while the channel “ORF” confirmed that several people died.

In turn, the daily “Kronen Zeitung” reported that one of the attackers blew himself up, explaining that the attack took place near the largest synagogue in Vienna, located on Schwedenplatz square.

The media, including “OE24”, reported that a group of armed men were holding hostages in a Japanese restaurant in the Mariahilfer Straße area of ​​the city center, but the police denied this information.

Activists on social media posted videos from the center of Vienna, documenting the sounds of multiple gunfire and a loud display of police officers, and others showing a person in a white uniform shooting a man in one of the neighborhoods of the city. point-blank city.

And the Austrian Interior Ministry announced that a police officer was seriously injured and one person was arrested after the shooting in central Vienna.

Meanwhile, city police confirmed on Twitter that they were carrying out a major operation in the first Vienna region, stating that they had deployed “all available forces” to deal with the situation.

Police reported several exchanges of gunfire, saying there were injuries, and asked people to avoid visiting public sites in the area, adding that they would later bring up the details.

While the head of the Jewish community in Austria, Oskar Deutsch, said on Twitter that it was unclear whether the Vienna Synagogue and neighboring offices were targeted, indicating that they were closed at the time.