‘India stands with Austria’: PM Modi tweets after Vienna terror attacks
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday conveyed his condolences over the terror attacks in Vienna, in which two people were killed and at least 14 were injured, and said he was “shocked and saddened” by the dastardly attacks in Austria’s capital city. He also said India was with Austria “in this tragic time.”
Read: Two dead, including one suspect, 15 injured in ‘terror’ attack Vienna
“Deeply shocked and saddened by the dastardly terror attacks in Vienna. India stands with Austria in this tragic time. My thoughts are with the victims and their families,” PM Modi said in a tweet on Tuesday.
Gunmen attacked six locations in Vienna on Monday, starting outside the city’s main synagogue, in what Austria’s government has called a “repulsive terror attack.” While Vienna Police shot dead one of the attackers, Austria’s interior minister Karl Nehammer said at least one perpetrator is still on the run.
Speaking at a news conference Nehammer further said, “It’s the hardest day for Austria in many years. We’re dealing with a terror attack the severity of which, thank God, we’ve not experienced in Austria in many years.”
As a precaution, the interior ministry has reinforced border checks and children are not required to attend school on Tuesday. Though people have been urged to stay at home, Vienna mayor Michael Ludwig said the city would “run normally” on Tuesday. However, there will be tougher police presence on the city’s streets.
Monday’s attack took place on what was the last evening before a nationwide curfew was to come in effect due to the Covid-19 pandemic, across Austria.
The attack also comes on the back of recent stabbing incidents in France-- in capital Paris and Nice. In a statement, French President Emmanuel Macron, who has been the subject of outrage of several Muslim-majority countries in recent days, said, “This is our Europe. Our enemies must know with whom they are dealing. We will not retreat.”
(With agency inputs)