State Security has received information about a planned Islamist attack on churches in Vienna. This is the reason for a current large-scale police operation in the federal capital Vienna.
The Vienna police tweeted the following: You will currently see more police forces in the city area, some with special equipment. The reason is an unspecified risk of attacks on churches. We'll keep you updated here.
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According to the police, these are precautionary measures that are common in such situations. Apparently there were only specific threats of attacks against Viennese churches.
The Vienna police write:
The State Security & Intelligence Directorate received information that an Islamist-motivated attack was being planned in Vienna. Due to a risk assessment by the DSN and several LVTs, increased monitoring and guarding of critical locations and objects in Vienna was ordered as a precautionary measure. For this purpose, uniformed police forces are visible in public spaces, consisting of district forces, WEGA and the EKO Cobra.
The duration of this increased property protection cannot yet be estimated. If there is a specific danger for the population in a specific location, the LPD Vienna will immediately warn via all available channels
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In addition, the Vienna police ask that you please NOT spread RUMORS or publish photos and videos online of possible police interventions!
As always in such situations: Please do not spread rumors or share photos and videos of police intervention! This can help potential perpetrators and endangers our emergency services.
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Due to some misunderstandings as to whether these were only Christian churches, the police have clarified this. The measures affect houses of worship of various denominations:
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According to the Kurier , it was unofficially found out that there could have been concrete threats of attacks from the IS environment. On March 11, 2011, the uprising against ruler Bashar al-Assad began in Syria. Since then, the day has been “celebrated” as a kind of anniversary. It is not considered unlikely that this could also be accompanied by attacks.
The Standard, in turn, reports:
The cathedral priest of St. Stephen's Cathedral in Vienna, Toni Faber, speaks to the STANDARD of a “minor danger situation”. He wasn't allowed to say any more about it, but at the moment he was "very happy" about the police protection at several church facilities, especially St. Stephen's Cathedral.
UPDATE 3/16/2023
Following a new risk assessment by the Directorate of State Security and Intelligence, our security measures in the area of Vienna are now being significantly reduced. The warning about attacks against religious institutions in Vienna has been lifted. State security gives the all-clear. The police are restricting their security measures accordingly
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This article is constantly updated!
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