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Terror attack near Vienna’s synagogue, 7 people killed

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Multiple gunmen opened fire at six locations in central Vienna starting near an area with several synagogues on Monday, killing at least three persons and wounding several others. About 50 shots were fired according to witnesses.All crime scenes are located in the first district within ten minutes’ walk of each other, where several synagogues are located, police reported.

  

Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz said shootings in Vienna late on Monday were “repulsive terror attack,” adding that the army would protect sites in the capital so the police could focus on anti-terror operations.
“We are currently experiencing difficult hours in our Republic. I would like to thank all the emergency forces who are risking their lives for our safety, especially today. Our police will take decisive action against the perpetrators of this repulsive terrorist attack,” Kurz wrote on Twitter. 

The Austrian Ministry of the Interior said the incident may have been a terrorist attack. “At the moment I can confirm we believe this is an apparent terror attack,” he said.

Several “heavily armed and dangerous” attackers were still on the loose as police shut down and sealed off large parts of central Vienna in a manhunt, Interior Minister Karl Nehammer said. Residents were urged to stay indoors.
“We have brought several special forces units together that are now searching for the presumed terrorists. I am therefore not limiting it to an area of Vienna because these are mobile perpetrators,” Nehammer told broadcaster ORF.

Chancellor Kurz and Interior Minister Nehammer appeal to the population to stay at home if possible because the danger has not yet been averted, Kurier reported, adding that school in Vienna will not be compulsory on Tuesday.
Interior Minister Karl Nehammer announced in a press conference on Monday night that at least one perpetrator of the attack in downtown Vienna is still on the run
Austrian police said the attack involved six crime scenes – Salzgries, Schwedenplatz, Graben, Fleischmarkt, Bauernmarkt and Morzinplatz. 
At least three persons have been killed and several hurt, including a police officer. Police had shot dead one perpetrator, police said on Twitter. 
Fifteen injured attack victims being treated in Vienna hospials, seven of whom are seriously injured, ORF reported in Broadcast.Two separate reports, one by the Kurier, and the other by the DiePresse, are reporting seven fatalities, including one police officer. 
 
Sources at the scene told The Jerusalem Post that no large blasts had been heard, only ongoing gunfire. They confirmed a large police presence in the area, with the possibility that more than one suspect is currently on the run.
According to Austrian newspaper Kronen, local police had confirmed a large deployment to the scene but have declined to comment on the reason for the mobilization. 
Vienna police reported via Twitter “a large police operation going on in the 1st district of Vienna,” and advised the public to avoid entering the city until further notice.  


A report by Austrian news agency APA later indicated that a police officer was shot and seriously injured during the developing incident in central Vienna and that one person was arrested. 

 


Several officials and community leaders responded to the shooting, condemning the attack, and calling on Viennese citizen to be careful and stay safe.

Jewish community leader Oskar Deutsch said on Twitter that it was not clear whether the Vienna synagogue and adjoining offices had been the target of an attack, and said they were closed at the time.
Yaakov Hagoel, Chairman World Zionist Organization, issued a statement Monday saying “I spoke recently with the Chief Rabbi of Vienna…it remains unclear if there were casualties from the Jewish community…we were required to close at this time all Jewish institutions, including synagogues and community buildings. We are of course hoping that there are no casualties at all. We will continue follow updates on the attack.” 
 
A report by the Teletrader news agency later indicated a possible hostage situation, as hostages were taken taken at the Akakiko sushi restaurant in Mariahilfer Stasse, roughly 2.5 kilometers away from the synagogue in Seitenstettengasse. However, it is unknown at this point if and how the incidents are connected. 
According to Rabbi Jacob Biderman, director of Chabad-Lubavitch of Austria, all of the city’s synagogues have been accounted for with no known injuries or loss of life in the Jewish community. “While there is much about this attack that we do not yet know, we are thankful that the Jewish community seems to have been spared from harm and extend our prayers for all those injured,” he told Chabad.org.

French President Emmanuel Macron  said the French people “share the shock and grief of the Austrian people struck this evening by an attack in the heart of their capital, Vienna.” He added that “after France, a friendly country is attacked. This is our Europe. Our enemies must know who they are dealing with. We will not give up.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson expressed that “the thoughts of Great Britain are with the people of Austria – we stand united with you against terror,” wrote Johnson on Twitter, “deeply shocked.” 

 

Swedish Prime Minister “strongly condemn the terrorist attacks in Vienna tonight, one of them close to a synagogue,” and adding, “my thoughts are with the victims and their families. We must all stand united against attacks on our open society.”

Josep Borrell Fontelles, Vice-President of the EU Commission reacted to the attack and said “I am shocked and moved by the terrible news about tonight’s attacks in Vienna. A cowardly act of violence and hate. My thoughts go to the victims and their families and the citizens of #Vienna. We stand by your side.”
The Mayor of Vienna Michael Ludwig expressed his horror at the attack in Vienna on Twitter: “We were deeply shocked by the information about the shooting in the inner city. The pictures are shocking and stunned.”

He also appealed to the Viennese to stay at home. Ludwig himself has now arrived at the police crisis team, as a spokesman emphasized.
Vienna Archbishop reacted to the attacks saying that “whatever the background to the attack today, it must be clear that there is no justification for blind violence.”Dr. Shimon Samuels, Director for International Relations of the Simon Wiesenthal Centre denounced also the attack, saying that “the Centre regards Vienna as the home-base of its mentor, Simon Wiesenthal, who was there targeted several times including a bombing… We stand in solidarity with the families of the civilian victims and police casualties, wth the Viennese Jewish community and with the current Austrian government as a true friend of Israel… We also commend the police force for their rapid response.”
This is a developing story, please check back for updates.
JTA and Reuters contributed to this report.

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