Austria’s government has classified Saturday’s fatal knife attack in Villach, Carinthia, as an “Islamist terrorist act with links to the Islamic State,” after a 23-year-old Syrian man stabbed passersby, killing a 14-year-old boy and injuring five others.
Interior Minister Gerhard Karner said on Sunday that the attack was Austria’s second deadliest Islamist-motivated terror incident after the 2020 Vienna shooting, which left four dead and 23 wounded.
According to authorities, the attacker shouted “Allahu Akbar” during the assault and later confessed to having been radicalised online in a short period. He had also pledged allegiance to Islamic State.
The suspect was in Austria legally with a residence permit and had no prior criminal record, Karner confirmed. In response to the attack, he announced an upcoming wave of identity checks and searches.
Carinthian Governor Peter Kaiser extended condolences to the victim’s family and praised a 42-year-old Syrian delivery driver who intervened by ramming the attacker with his car. “This shows how close evil and terror stand to humanity and courage within the same nationality,” Kaiser said, urging social cohesion.
Villach Mayor Günther Albel called the incident “a stab to the heart” and demanded stronger measures. “We cannot continue like this. Condemnation, imprisonment, and deportation,” he stated.
State Police Chief Michaela Kohlweiss credited the delivery driver’s actions with preventing a larger-scale attack. “He stopped the suspect from reaching more people at the risk of his own life,” she said.
Police later searched the suspect’s apartment, discovering Islamic State flags.
