Several people have died and many were left with severe injuries after a terror attack in the capital of Austria.
According to the reports, the attack took place near a Vienna synagogue as residents took to the streets to enjoy their last day of complete freedom before the city’s scheduled lockdown.
At around 8 pm local time, several gun attacks erupted around the populated area, resulting in at least two civilian deaths and 15 people injured, some of them critically.
Following the terrorist attack orchestrated by a series of heavily armed attackers, the police have launched a massive manhunt with officers swarming the streets.
According to the reports, one of the terrorists was fatally shot by the police, whereas one officer suffered severe injuries during the confrontation.
“It appears to have been a terror attack,” Interior Minister Karl Nehammer told ORF. According to the minister, the army has been deployed to protect prominent locations in the city as the police went after the “heavily armed and dangerous” attackers.
“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,” he added.
Dubbing the incident a “hideous terrorist attack,” Chancellor Sebastian Kurz thanked emergency services while vowing to “never allow ourselves to be intimidated by terrorism.”
“We are currently going through difficult times in our republic. I would like to thank all the emergency services who risk their lives, especially today for our safety,” he said.
“Our police will take decisive action against the perpetrators of this hideous terrorist attack. I am glad that our police officers have already been able to eliminate a perpetrator. We will never allow ourselves to be intimidated by terrorism and will fight these attacks resolutely by all means.”
The chancellor added: “One of the perpetrators was neutralized, but several perpetrators appear to still be on the loose. They seem to also, as far as we know, be very well equipped, with automatic weapons. So they were very well prepared. It’s definitely a terror attack.”
In photos taken in Vienna on the night of the tragic attack, the police are seen patrolling the streets and searching vehicles and civilians.
As of 2 am local time, at least one terrorist was still on the run.
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