Terror risk in Austria: IS attacks planned to Christmas markets!

Terror risk in Austria: IS attacks planned to Christmas markets!

In the middle of an alarming increase in threats after a devastating incident at the Christmas market in Magdeburg, where on December 20, a suspected assassin raced into the crowd with a rental car and asked for at least five dead, terrorist plans were revealed in Austria. This 50-year-old suspect, Taleb A., who has lived in Germany since 2006, was previously known as critical voices against Islam and is now considered an atypical perpetrator. His supposed motifs remain nebulous, although dissatisfaction about the situation of refugees in Germany was expressed as a possible explanation, as ZDF .

In Austria, on the other hand, the arrest of a 21-year-old Afghan suspect who had planned to commit attacks on Christmas markets. Vienna in particular was in sight, with references to IS Propaganda found on his Tikok channel, as The Salzburger Nachrichten reports . The young man who last lived in Salzburg and worked in Hallein is suspected of being involved in a terrorist association. During the house search, the authorities found evidence materials that indicate its membership in IS. Despite his arrest, many questions about his exact intentions and connections could remain open.

The incidents are part of a troubling trend and show how diverse and complex the threats have become due to extremist violence. While the investigation in Magdeburg continues, whereby the public prosecutor regularly reports on the case, the security authorities must remain vigilant in both Germany and Austria in view of the growing number of potential terrorists whose backgrounds and motives are often difficult to see through. The severity of the situation is not only underlined by the deed itself, but also by the continuous investigation of the authorities.