A Syrian migrant residing in Austria has been hailed as a hero after he rammed his automobile into an attacker, bringing down a radicalised assailant who had killed one teenager and left 5 others injured.
The stabbing, described by Austria’s inside minister as having been carried out by a Syrian man who was legally residing within the nation and who had change into radicalised by the Islamic State group, occurred on Saturday within the southern Austrian metropolis of Villach.
Because the nation mourned, many hailed the bravery of Alaaeddin al-Halabi, a meals supply driver who left Syria in 2015 and who had been driving previous the world on Saturday when he observed a commotion. He slowed down, he advised Reuters, “as a result of there have been many individuals, some operating, some scared, and a few had been shouting for assist”.
It was then that he observed that one of many individuals on the scene had a knife. “I instantly understood what was occurring – there have been individuals on the bottom bleeding, and this particular person was waving the knife in a threatening method.”
Al-Halabi sprang into motion. “I instantly drove towards him and hit him with my automobile. The great factor is that the impression wasn’t too robust, thank God,” he stated. “I imply, the aim of hitting him with the automobile was simply to neutralise him or cease what he was doing. The aim wasn’t to hurt anybody.”
Within the confusion that adopted, al-Halabi stated he was shocked to see some within the crowd activate him, telling the newspaper Kleinen Zeitung that he locked himself into his automobile as some individuals started to hit his car. Talking to Reuters, he stated: “Folks attacked me after the incident – individuals on the road thought I used to be finishing up an assault like what occurred in Germany.”
The assault got here days after a 24-year-old Afghan asylum seeker drove a automobile right into a commerce union demonstration in neighbouring Germany, killing a two-year-old woman and her mom in addition to injuring 37 others. It was the fifth high-profile assault involving migrants to Germany previously 9 months, main politicians to grab on migration as a speaking level earlier than snap elections on 23 February.
Saturday’s assault in Austria killed a 14-year-old boy and wounded 5 others, all of whom had been believed to have been focused randomly.
Talking to reporters, the police spokesperson Rainer Dionisio later stated al-Halabi’s actions had performed a job in halting the assault. “It was most likely a heroic act, sure. It prevented one thing worse from occurring,” he stated.
The sentiment was echoed by the mayor of Villach, Günther Albel. “We’re very grateful to the person who intervened selflessly, courageously and decisively and thus prevented one thing even worse from occurring, in addition to to the speedy deployment of the police,” he stated in a press release.
The state governor, Peter Kaiser, additionally thanked al-Halabi, saying that his intervention “reveals how intently terrorist evil but in addition human good could be united in a single and the identical nationality”.
As media throughout Austria described al-Halabi as a hero, the 42-year-old dismissed the label. “Folks have a look at me as a hero, however I don’t see it that method,” he stated. “I say to individuals: ‘Please, if one thing like this occurs once more, it’s important to do one thing. You’ll be able to’t simply stand there, take images and movie movies.’”
As Austria reeled from the stabbing, rightwing politicians sought to reinforce their hardline views on migration. Late final yr, Austria was among the many dozen European nations that suspended the processing of asylum purposes from Syrians after the fall of the Assad regime in Damascus. Officers in Austria stated they had been making ready a “repatriation and deportation” programme to the nation.
The assault was the nation’s second lethal extremist assault lately. In November 2020, a person who had beforehand tried to affix the Islamic State group carried out a rampage in Vienna, armed with an automated rifle and a pretend explosive vest, killing 4 individuals earlier than he was fatally shot by police.
In August, authorities foiled plans for an assault on a Taylor Swift live performance that was impressed by the Islamic State group.
Within the wake of Saturday’s assault, those that weighed in included the Free Syrian Neighborhood of Austria, a help group for Syrians, who expressed its deepest condolences to the victims’ households and sought to distance the suspect from the tens of hundreds of Syrians who reside within the nation peacefully.
“All of us needed to flee Syria, our dwelling nation, as a result of we had been not secure there – nobody left their nation voluntarily. We’re grateful to have discovered asylum and safety in Austria,” it stated on social media. “We want to emphasise: anybody who causes strife and disturbs the peace of society doesn’t characterize the Syrians who’ve sought and obtained safety right here.”
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