Syrian stabs passersby in Austrian town, killing one, police say

16/2/2025 6:12

A 23-year-old Syrian asylum seeker stabbed several passersby in the centre of the Austrian town of Villach on Saturday, killing a 14-year old boy and injuring four other people, police said, adding that the suspected attacker had been arrested.



Further details, such as whether the attacker knew any of the victims, remained unclear, a spokesperson for the police in the southern state of Carinthia, Rainer Dionisio, said. The injured were aged between 14 and 32, he added.



Such attacks are extremely rare in Austria. A jihadist killed four people in Vienna in a shooting rampage in 2020 that was the country's deadliest assault in decades.



Villach is known for its carnival and is in an area that is a tourist hotspot in the summer as it includes one of Austria's most famous lakes but otherwise attracts little attention.