A large-scale police operation is ongoing at a Vienna synagogue following gunfire Monday, police in the Austrian capital said.
“There are several injured persons,” police tweeted. “We are on site with all available forces. Please avoid all public squares in the city.”
Footage shared on social media purportedly shows the moment several bursts of shooting can be heard breaking out, as people on the street rush to seek shelter.
At least 7 dead and many more injured, local police reported, after a terror attack on different locations in the city.
Videos posted to social media show multiple rounds being fired in the Innere Stadt, Vienna’s old town, an area home to several synagogues including the historic Stadttempel, near the Danube river. At least one gunman appeared to be firing an automatic rifle directly in front of the Stadttempel.
In a statement posted to Twitter in German, Oskar Deutsch, president of the Jewish Community in Vienna wrote, “While it remains unclear if the Stadttempel was one of the targets, we’ve confirmed that is that both the synagogue office building at the same address were closed at the time of the shots were fired.”
One terrorist reportedly blew himself up with an explosive belt.
Residents are being told to avoid the area, as the situation is still very active.
Anti-terror units still hunting multiple suspects, one suspect has reportedly been caught.
According to Rabbi Yankel Biderman, executive director of Chabad-Lubavitch of Austria, all of the city’s synagogues have been accounted for with no known injuries or loss of life in the Jewish community.
“I checked with all five of Vienna’s Chabad houses, as well as our educational institutions, and thank G‑d everyone is fine,” Biderman told Chabad.org. “While there is much about this attack that we do not yet know, we are thankful that the Jewish community seems to have been spared from harm and extend our prayers for all those injured.”
#Wien #Vienna #Austria #Schisserei pic.twitter.com/K22OXLnQh2
— Georgia_HGrabar (@GHG19hr) November 2, 2020
UPDATE – Police units storming several restaurants in #Vienna in search of the terrorists.pic.twitter.com/9nfWlYJP0y
— Disclose.tv 🚨 (@disclosetv) November 2, 2020
WARNING: Graphic video
Jewish leader says no casualties among community members; police launch massive operation amid shootings at several locations; one attacker said killed
https://www.timesofisrael.com/shots-fired-near-vienna-synagogue-prompting-massive-police-operation/?utm_source=shots-fired-near-vienna-synagogue-prompting-massive-police-operation&utm_medium=desktop-browser&utm_campaign=desktop-notifications#
Sad to hear about any deaths, plz share good news soon