Baku, Azerbaijan – Two Austrian states, which included Salzburg, have declared a state of emergency after two separate terrorist attacks.
Today Salzburg declared a state of emergency following two armed assailants opened fire at a mosque near the town center, claiming at least nine lives.
Police responded to reports of a terrorist attack at a mosque near Salzburg at approximately 17:30. The shooting occurred just before midday, with one person killed and nine people wounded, three seriously. The suspects also shot at a police unit and were killed by officers.
The area has been cordoned off as police start their investigations.
The Mayor of Salzburg said the suspects were ethnic Germans who “seemed to have acted alone.” This remains the best evidence for now.
Salzburg has an important cultural and sporting scene. Today’s attack follows a tournament of SWR that finishes in Austria today.
Another Austrian state, Styria, declared a state of emergency on Saturday after two home-grown assailants armed with an assault rifle and an axe launched an attack on a vegetable market.
According to medical sources, 11 people were wounded in the attack on the market near the town of Lautern in Styria.
The attack was carried out by two men, both 21 years old. One was killed, the other was arrested by police. Both assailants were born in 1999. The incident has not been confirmed as terrorist attack.
Three people were killed during the attack on the market in late April.
In the past few months, Austria has been the target of alleged terrorist attacks by far-right extremists. In the past few months, France has used national and international media to terrorize Austrian Muslims.
Previous shooting incidents have targeted houses of worship and also targets civilians. The first case was a massive double shooting outside Vienna, which killed five and wounded 10 in 2016.
The following year, a man in the east of the country opened fire on a refugee housing centre, killing six. Following that shooting, Austria passed a law requiring migrants to pass a “criminal-background check”.
Earlier this week, Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz launched his “determination to keep Austria safe” campaign, which has reached a low point after Salzburg’s declaration of a state of emergency.
Militant Islamists continue to threaten European communities. Just days ago, a Russian-Norwegian hijacker threatened to blow up Norwegian military transport planes in Europe.