Vienna police have intensified armed security patrols in sensitive locations across the Austrian capital, including churches, on Wednesday, after the local intelligence agency received information indicating that extremists were planning to carry out an attack. The local police took the unusual step of warning the public on social media about the increased presence of armed police, including special forces.
Vienna is considered one of the safest cities in the world, with rare occurrences of extremist attacks. The first such horrific attack took place in 2022, when an armed jihadist killed four people in a shooting incident before being shot dead by police officers.
Vienna police tweeted in English from their official account, "Our intelligence agencies have reason to believe that there is planning for an attack driven by extremism in Vienna." The police noted that, "As a precautionary measure... security has been tightened in the affected areas with special police forces and patrols," and added that it is impossible to estimate how long these special measures will remain in place.
