After France, terrorists attacked Austria

Gunmen opened fire in six locations across central Vienna on Monday night, in an attack that left at least three dead – including one of the assailants – and some 15 people wounded.

The motive for the shootings, which began near the Austrian capital’s main synagogue, was not clear, but Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz described the shootings as a “repulsive terror attack” and said the gunmen were “very well equipped with automatic weapons” and had “prepared professionally”.

Leaders in Europe and elsewhere took to social media to condemn the attack and express solidarity with Austria.

Interior Minister Karl Nehammer told a morning news conference that police shot dead a heavily armed attacker who was a sympathizer of the extremist group Islamic State. 

“We experienced an attack yesterday evening from at least one Islamist terrorist,” he said, adding that authorities could not rule out that there were more perpetrators.

Some 1,000 police officers have been deployed across Vienna in the wake of the shootings, which began late Monday outside the city’s main synagogue. Police said there were “suspects armed with rifles in six different locations” across the city.