Austrian police are searching for at least one suspect after a multiple gun attack in the capital, Vienna, that killed four people.
One attacker was shot dead by police, officials said, and one was arrested.
Interior Minister Karl Nehammer described the assailant killed by police as an “Islamist terrorist”.
Two of those who died in the random shooting were women and two were men. One of the women was reportedly a waitress. The second woman died of her wounds in hospital overnight, reports said.
The victims were in a city centre area busy with people in bars and restaurants, near Vienna’s central synagogue, but it is not yet clear if that was the target.
Seven of the wounded have life-threatening injuries, Austrian media report.
Addressing a news conference, Mr Nehammer said the heavily armed gunman killed by police was an Islamic State (IS) sympathiser and that his home had been searched and video material seized. Police tweeted that he had been wearing a fake explosive belt.
Earlier, Mr Nehammer said at least one “heavily armed and dangerous” attacker was believed to be still at large. Officials were quoted as saying there could have been as many as four attackers. The interior minister urged people to avoid central Vienna and told parents to keep their children home on Tuesday if they could.
Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz called it a “repulsive terror attack”.
It happened hours before Austria imposed new national restrictions to try to stem rising cases of coronavirus. Many people were enjoying drinks and eating out before a midnight curfew.
European leaders strongly condemned the shooting. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he was “deeply shocked by the terrible attacks”.
What do we know about the attack?
Police said the incident began at about 20:00 (19:00 GMT), near the Seitenstettengasse synagogue, when a heavily armed man opened fire on people outside cafes and restaurants.
Members of the special forces quickly arrived at the scene. One policeman was shot and critically wounded before the perpetrator, who was armed with an automatic rifle, a pistol and a machete, was, in the chief’s words “neutralised” at 20:09.
Jewish community leader Oskar Deutsch said that the synagogue was closed at the time the attack began.
Footage posted on social media showed scenes of chaos as people ran through the streets with gunshots ringing out in the background.
Witness Chris Zhao was in a nearby restaurant when the shooting started.
He told the BBC: “We heard noises that sounded like firecrackers. We heard about 20 to 30 and we thought that to be actually gunfire. We saw the ambulances… lining up. There were victims. Sadly, we also saw a body lying down the street next to us.”
A major anti-terror operation swung into action and police set up roadblocks around the city centre. Members of the public were told to stay away from the area and not to use public transport.
Police in the neighbouring Czech Republic said they were carrying out random checks on the border with Austria in case the gunman fled in that direction.
BBC
Comments 1