The Office for the Protection of the Constitution has investigated a 17-year-old Islamist who allegedly expressed concrete plans to attack Vienna in an Internet chat group. The teen was arrested and is currently in custody.
According to the Ministry of the Interior, the Austrian also shared a photo of himself in relevant clothing with a combat knife in his hand, while giving the IS salute with the other hand.
After an investigation by the Directorate of State Security and Intelligence (DSN) and the State Office for the Protection of the Constitution and the Combating of Terrorism (LVT), the Public Prosecutor’s Office ordered a search and the immediate arrest of the suspect on suspicion of membership of a terrorist organization organization. It is said that he was radicalized on the Internet.
Radicalization often takes place online
“This case once again shows the concrete danger currently posed by Islamist extremism,” Director General of Public Security Franz Ruf said in a press release. “Easily accessible radicalization on the internet means that potential perpetrators are getting younger and, despite their young age, they do not avoid attacks.”
In the chat group, the young person initially assured other participants that he was actually prepared to carry out an attack. However, he later informed the group that he would not do this after all. During his interrogation he turned out to be a strict believer and stated that he had planned an attack in Vienna. He is said to have accepted the risk of dying himself and cited the attackers in Vienna, Berlin and France as role models, the Interior Ministry said.
Karner sees Islamism as a danger to the ‘free world’
„The current success of the investigation clearly shows that the Office for the Protection of the Constitution is taking consistent and stubborn action against Islamist extremism. These radicalized people are among the greatest terrorist threats in the free world. We will fight them with all the means at our disposal,” said Interior Minister Gerhard Karner.
During the search, paper stencils with the IS logo, a combat knife and various data carriers were seized. When he was arrested, the youth had the knife with him, which was also visible in the photo in the chat group.
Source: Krone
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