In southern Austria, a knife attack claimed the life of a 14-year-old boy. There were five other injuried
A 23-year-old Syrian national was taken into custody by police.
Police are seen after a knife attack near the main square in the city centre of Villach, southern Austria on February 15, 2025.
Police arrested a Syrian suspect shortly after the attackImage: Gerd Eggenberger/APA/AFP
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A 23-year-old man randomly stabbed six bystanders in the southern Austrian city of Villach on Saturday, police said.
A 14-year-old boy was killed in the attack, and five other people were injured.
The suspected attacker was arrested. He is a Syrian asylum seeker with a valid residence permit and no criminal record, police spokesman Rainer Dionisio told the French AFP news agency.
What do we know about the incident?
The incident occurred shortly before 4 p.m. local time (1500 GMT) in the center of Villach, the capital of the Austrian state of Carinthia.
According to Dionisio, a food delivery driver saw the attack and rammed his vehicle into the assailant, who suffered minor injuries and was arrested “right after the attack.”
Police said it wasn’t clear whether the suspect acted alone and were continuing to search for other possible suspects. His motives were also unclear, and police were investigating his personal background.
“We have to wait until we get secure information,” Dionisio said.
Police arrested a Syrian suspect shortly after the attackImage: Gerd
A 23-year-old man randomly stabbed six bystanders in the southern Austrian city of Villach on Saturday, police said.
A 14-year-old boy was killed in the attack, and five other people were injured.
The alleged assailant was taken into custody. According to police spokesperson Rainer Dionisio, who spoke to the French news agency AFP, he is a Syrian asylum seeker with a valid residency permit and no criminal history.
The incident happened in the heart of Villach, the capital of the Austrian state of Carinthia, just before 4 p.m. local time (1500 GMT).
Dionisio claims that a food delivery driver witnessed the assault and struck the attacker with his car. The attacker was injured but taken into custody “right after the attack.”
Police said they were still looking for other potential suspects and that it was unclear if the suspect acted alone. Police were looking into his personal history, and it was unclear why he did it.
Dionisio stated, “We must wait until we obtain secure information.”
