Deadly knife attack in Villach: IS attack shocked Carinthia!

Deadly knife attack in Villach: IS attack shocked Carinthia!

Villach, Österreich - A shocking assassination in Villach caused horror at the weekend. A 23-year-old Syrian stabbed passers-by in the middle of the city center with a folding knife, with a 14-year-old adolescent being killed and several others seriously injured. The incident is classified by the investigative authorities as an Islamist terrorist act, as orf.at . The perpetrator, who came to Austria in 2020 and received asylum, had radicalized Tikok within a very short time and is said to have been a supporter of a radical Islamic influencer. During a search of his apartment, the police found an Islamist flag, which increases the concern about the influence of extremist ideologies in Austria

Carinthia's Governor Peter Kaiser was deeply affected by this act of violence and demanded increased measures for the early detection of radicalizations. "Until the day before yesterday Villach was one of the safest places in Europe. We have to do everything so that he stays", "said Kaiser in an interview with 5 minutes . He emphasized the urgency to monitor and prevent radicalization more effectively on the Internet. The case has already triggered a discussion about the need for extensive checks in the asylum system, with Interior Minister Gerhard Karner announced a "eventless mass check" of the asylum entitled

political reactions and demands

The political reaction was unanimously affected. Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen called the incident "horribly" and expressed his sympathy to the relatives of the victim. At the same time, voices became sound that demanded a stricter approach to extremism. SPÖ boss Andreas Babler and Greens boss Werner Kogler demanded the "full hardness of the rule of law". Herbert Kickl, FPÖ boss, described the Situation as "system failure of the first quality" and called for stricter control in the asylum system. In Villach, a mourning week was also proclaimed to commemorate the victims.