Austrian Police Report Arrest of 14 People in Connection with Vienna Terrorist Attack

According to Reuters, Austrian police conducted raids on 18 locations on Tuesday, November 3, and arrested 14 people in connection with the recent terrorist attack in Vienna that left four dead and 22 wounded.

The attacker, a 20-year-old citizen of Austria-North Macedonia named Kujtim Fejzullahu, was killed by police Monday night following the terrorist attack. According to reports, he had been convicted under a law that punishes membership in terrorist organizations and was released from prison less than a year before the attack.

Following the attack, Sebastian Kurz, Austrian Chancellor, described the attack as an “Islamist terrorist” attack and said that “we will defend our fundamental values, our way of life and our democracy.”

He also called on European countries to “take more decisive action against terrorism.”

He stated: “We must give everyone who wants to integrate the opportunity to integrate, but at the same time we must make clear that our fundamental values are not negotiable.”

According to the report, Swiss police also arrested two men near Zurich on Tuesday in connection with investigations into a possible link to the attack.

Austria’s capital had previously been spared from the deadly extremist attacks that have affected Paris, London, Berlin and Brussels in recent years. Austria is part of a global coalition led by the United States to defeat ISIS, which was formed in 2014. Reports indicate that ISIS has claimed responsibility for the recent attack in Vienna.

The terrorist attack in Vienna occurred following recent deadly attacks by Islamic extremists in the French cities of Nice and Paris.

The attack drew reactions from U.S. and European officials, including President Trump. The U.S. President described the attack in a tweet on Monday evening, November 2, as “another vicious terrorist attack in Europe” and wrote: “We pray for the people of Vienna following another vicious terrorist attack in Europe.”

Mike Pompeo, U.S. Secretary of State, also strongly condemned the attack in a tweet, expressing sincere sympathy with the families of those killed and wounded in the terrorist attack in Vienna.

Source: Voice of America