The Crest

Tag: Austria

  • [Updated] Gunman kills 10, Self in Austrian secondary school

    [Updated] Gunman kills 10, Self in Austrian secondary school

    GRAZ, Austria, June 10 (Reuters) – A former pupil killed 10 people and himself at a secondary school in Austria’s second city, Graz, on Tuesday, in the worst school shooting in Austria’s modern history.
    Interior Minister Gerhard Karner said six of those killed at the school were female and three were male, without giving any details of their ages. Graz Hospital later confirmed the death of a 10th person.
    Karner said another dozen people had been injured but gave no further details about the victims. Austrian media said most were pupils.
    Police said they believed the 21-year-old Austrian shooter, who was found dead in a bathroom, had been operating alone when he entered the school with two guns and opened fire. His motive remained unclear.
    Director General of Public Security Franz Ruf told state broadcaster ORF that victims were found outside and inside the school on various floors, adding the gunman had been armed with both a shotgun and a pistol, both found at the scene.
    Chancellor Christian Stocker called the shooting a “dark day in the history of our country”.
    “There are no words for the pain and grief that we all – all of Austria – are feeling right now.”
    Stocker travelled to Graz where, at a press conference alongside officials including Karner, he announced three days of national mourning. A minute’s silence was set for 10 a.m. (0800 GMT) on Wednesday.
    Ruf also told ORF the suspect had left behind a farewell letter, both in analogue and digital form, in which he said goodbye to his parents but gave no indication of a motive, which was still being investigated.
    More than 300 police were called in after shots were heard around 10 a.m. at the school, for pupils of 15 and above. Ambulances also arrived within minutes as the premises were cordoned off.
    The Salzburger Nachrichten newspaper said in an unconfirmed report that the suspect had opened fire on pupils in two classrooms, one of which had once been his own. It said he had been a victim of bullying.
    Julia Ebner, an extremism expert at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue think-tank, said the incident appeared to be the worst school shooting in Austria’s post-war history.
    Foreign leaders including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz expressed shock.
    Austria has one of the most heavily armed civilian populations in Europe, with an estimated 30 firearms per 100 people, according to the Small Arms Survey, an independent research project.
    Four people were killed and 22 injured when a convicted jihadist went on a shooting spree in the centre of Vienna in 2020. In November 1997, a 36-year-old mechanic shot dead six people in the town of Mauterndorf before killing himself.
    • Reuters
  • Islamic Group Claims Attack in Vienna

    Islamic Group Claims Attack in Vienna

    The Islamic State group claimed responsibility Tuesday for a deadly shooting rampage in Vienna the day before, the group said in a statement on its Telegram channels.

    The statement on the messaging app identified “a soldier of the caliphate” as being responsible for the assault on Monday night in the Austrian capital that left four people dead.

    In a separate statement, accompanied by a photograph of the armed assailant, IS propaganda arm Amaq cited “a gun attack yesterday (Monday) by an Islamic State fighter in the city of Vienna”.

  • Shooting Rampage in Austria As Four Gunned Down

    Shooting Rampage in Austria As Four Gunned Down

    A huge manhunt was underway Tuesday after gunmen opened fire at multiple locations across central Vienna, killing at least four people in what Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz described as a “repulsive terror attack”.

    One of the suspected killers, identified as an Islamic State group sympathiser, was shot dead by police who said they were searching for at least one more assailant still at large.

    The shooting rampage, in six locations including near a synagogue and the world-famous opera house in the heart of Vienna on Monday evening, was carried out by “several suspects armed with rifles”, police said.

    Helicopters were flying overhead as police sealed off the city in the hunt for other attackers, while neighbouring countries stepped up border checks.

    The shooting erupted just hours before Austria was to re-impose a coronavirus lockdown, with people out in bars and restaurants enjoying a final night out.

    It follows a spate of Islamist attacks in France and triggered an outpouring of solidarity from Western leaders including US President Donald Trump.

    ‘Heavily armed’ gunman
    Two men and two woman were killed in the attack, an interior ministry spokesman said, while about 15 more have been injured, seven seriously. Police also said an officer had been hurt.

    The first shots were heard at around 8 pm (1900 GMT) in the city’s centrally-located first district.

    “It sounded like firecrackers, then we realised it was shots,” said one witness quoted by public broadcaster ORF.

    A gunman “shot wildly with an automatic weapon” before police arrived and opened fire, the witness added.

    Another spoke of at least 50 shots being fired.

    “All the signs make it clear it’s a radicalised person and a person who feels closely connected to IS,” Interior Minister Karl Nehammer said of the slain attacker.

    Police had used explosives to blast their way into the apartment of the dead man who had been “heavily armed”, he told a press conference.

    The minister had earlier said: “According to what we currently know, there is at least one attacker who is still on the run.”

    It was unclear how many assailants were involved.

    ‘Never be intimidated’
    Speaking to ORF, Kurz said the attackers “were very well equipped with automatic weapons” and had “prepared professionally”.

    He also tweeted: “Our police will act decisively against the perpetrators of this repulsive terror attack.

    “We will never be intimidated by terrorism and we will fight this attack with all means.”

    Kurz said that while police were concentrating on the anti-terror operation, the army would take over the security of major buildings in Vienna.

    Nehammer urged Vienna residents to remain in their homes and keep away from all public places or public transport. He said children would not be expected to go to school on Tuesday.

    An AFP photographer said large numbers of police were guarding an area near the opera house.

    The president of Vienna’s Jewish community Oskar Deutsch said shots had been fired “in the immediate vicinity” of the Stadttempel synagogue, but added that it was currently unknown whether the temple — closed at the time — had been the target.

    ‘Cowardly act’
    At the busy bars and restaurants, people were told to remain indoors.

    “At the beginning, I thought to myself that maybe we were making an American film or that they had drunk too much,” said waiter Jimmy Eroglu, 42.

    But then he heard shots. “The police came in and said, ‘you all have to stay inside because there’s a probably a dead man there’”.

    Robert Schneider, who lives in central Vienna, went out and found two lasers trained on his chest.

    “Hands up, take off your jacket,” officers shouted at him, the 39-year-old told AFP. “We had seen nothing, heard nothing. We are in shock.”

    Austria had until now been spared the sort of major attacks that have hit other European countries.

    Germany stepped up checks at the Austrian border as Chancellor Angela Merkel said: “The fight against these assassins and those who instigate them is our common struggle.”

    President Emmanuel Macron of France tweeted: “We French share the shock and sorrow of the Austrian people”.

    On Thursday, three people were killed at a church in French Riviera city of Nice, and a schoolteacher was beheaded by a suspected Islamist outside Paris on October 16.

    Leaders of other nations also voiced support for Austria.

    “These evil attacks against innocent people must stop. The US stands with Austria, France, and all of Europe in the fight against terrorists, including radical Islamic terrorists,” Trump said.

    EU Council chief Charles Michel tweeted that the bloc “strongly condemns this cowardly act”.

    • AFP
  • Super Eagles Slump To a Third Straight Defeat To Algeria

    Super Eagles Slump To a Third Straight Defeat To Algeria

    A goal Ramy Bensebaini in the fifth minute strike was all the Algerians need to defeat the Super Eagles, as they succumbed to a third straight defeat to African champions Algeria 1-0 in an international friendly at the Worthesee Stadium, Klagenfurt, Austria on Friday.

    Bensebaini was on hand to poke home from close range after the Eagles defence failed to clear their lines from a corner kick.

    Thereafter, the Algerians were clearly the better side in the friendly tie, as the Eagles largely struggled for pace, and stability following the absence of midfield duo Wilfred Ndidi and Oghenekaro Etebo.

    The defeat was the 11th the Eagles have suffered under Gernot Rohr and. It also ended their five-match unbeaten run of three wins and two draws, since they lost to Algeria in the semi-finals of the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt.

    Everton forward Alex Iwobi had the Eagles’ best chance in the 21st-minute with a long range effort that went just wide.

    In the 35th minute, Paul Onuachu’s flick off a cross from Zaidu Sanusi narrowly missed target.

    Said Benhrama and Andy Delort were at the forefront of the Desert Foxes’ onslaught, with the later forcing a brilliant save from the impressive Maduka Okoye with a 25-yard free-kick early on.

    The Eagles had conceded three goals in their previous two games, and their defensive fortitude was managing to keep the Fennecs at bay as the game wore out.

    In the second half, the Eagles failed to record a single short on target, as the Algerians piled on the pressure.

    Okoye made a smart save to deny Farid Bolaya a goal.

    The 21-year-old keeper made four fantastic saves including palming away a dangerous effort at the near post.

    Despite the defeat, Nigeria coach Rohr will have some positives to take home.

    Sparta Rotterdam keeper Okoye will definitely stake a claim for the team’s number one position with his saves against the North Africans.

    Returning right-back Tyrone Ebuehi was also impressive in Klagenfurt.

  • International Friendly: Nigeria, Algeria To Battle it Out in Austria

    International Friendly: Nigeria, Algeria To Battle it Out in Austria

    The topsy-turvy football rivalry between Nigeria and Algeria which stretches a long time back is always a classic.

    It can simply be seen as a battle for supremacy between two of Africa’s football giants.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that three-time African champions Nigeria will file out against the in-form Desert Foxes of Algeria in a friendly.

    The match will hold at the Jacques Lemans Arena in Austria on Friday.

    It is the first gathering of the Super Eagles this year, with the coronavirus pandemic shutting down football globally since the month of March.

    This was just before a quick-fire double Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifying series with Sierra Leone, which will now hold in November.

    Prior to the COVID-19 lockdown, the Super Eagles had won their last three games out of five played between Sept. 22 and Nov. 19 in 2019.

    They beat Togo (2-0), Benin (2-1) and Lesotho (4-2) in their AFCON qualifying matches.

    Nigeria also recorded an impressive 1-1 draw against Brazil in an international friendly match but lost 4-1 away to Togo also in the AFCON qualifiers.

    Algeria, on the other hand, have won three of their last five matches played between Oct. 10 and Nov. 18, 2019.

    They thrashed Zambia (5-0), Colombia (3-0) and Botswana (1-0), with a 1-1 draw against Congo DR and a 3-0 defeat away to Morocco in the AFCON qualifiers.

    The clash in Austria will be the fourth time coach Djamel Belmadi’s men will lock horns with the Super Eagles in the space of three years.

    However, it was the Desert Foxes who had the upper hand in their last encounter.

    Both teams were in the same qualifying pool for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, with the Eagles trouncing the Fennecs 3-1 in Uyo before a 1-1 draw in Constantine.

    The draw mattered little as Nigeria had already booked a ticket to Russia before that final-day encounter.

    The two teams were again at each other’s jugular in the semi-finals of last year’s AFCON in Egypt.

    The Fennecs edged it 2-1 from a free-kick just outside the box at the death, and then went on to defeat Senegal in the final to clinch their second continental title.

    Encounters between both African football giants have always been entertaining and unpredictable, since the first time they met in 1973 at the then All-Africa Games in Lagos.

    The duel ended 2-2, but there have been 18 matches between both sides since then.

    It is pertinent to note that both teams qualified for the World Cup for the first time at the expense of each other.

    Algeria qualified for her first-ever World Cup appearance at Spain ‘82 by beating Nigeria in the final rounds.

    Nigeria returned the favour in 1993 on a cold windy night in Constantine to pick a ticket for USA ‘94.

    Ironically, Nigeria defeated Algeria 3-0 to win her first-ever AFCON title in 1980 on home soil.

    Ten years later, it was pay-back time as Algeria defeated Nigeria 1-0 to win her first Africa Cup of Nations title in 1990 on home soil too.

    In total, 19 matches have been played between the two teams over the years with Nigeria slightly edging out Algeria on a number of wins.

    The Eagles have won nine games, drawn three and lost seven of those.

    The Super Eagles, now ranked 29th in the world and third in Africa, will engage the Desert Foxes, who are 35th and fourth in Africa in the rankings.

    Also, Algeria look to build on their last victory and further close the gap between both countries.

    Coach Gernot Rohr will have to do without three of his initial invitees, with Turkey-based midfielder Oghenekaro Etebo suffering a knock on Sunday.

    It followed an earlier injury to Wilfred Ndidi and the permission granted Italy-based forward Victor Osimhen to sit out the matches.

    Genk of Belgium’s Paul Onuachu was handed a late call-up and will replace Osimhen.

    Tyronne Ebuehi who joined Dutch club FC Twente on loan from Benfica of Portugal takes the place of Ndidi in the squad.

    Apart from these, the regular players are all available for the clash.

    These include team captain Ahmed Musa (Al Nassr, Saudi Arabia), Alex Iwobi (Everton FC, England), Kenneth Omeruo (CD Leganes, Spain) and a host of others.

    Super Eagles's Ahmed Musa and the Desert Foxes of Algeria's Riyad Mahrez

    Super Eagles’s Ahmed Musa and the Desert Foxes of Algeria’s Riyad Mahrez.

    Apart from these, the regular players are all available for the clash.

    These include team captain Ahmed Musa (Al Nassr, Saudi Arabia), Alex Iwobi (Everton FC, England), Kenneth Omeruo (CD Leganes, Spain) and a host of others.

    However, players like Odion Ighalo who has retired and goalkeeper Daniel Akpeyi who was faulted for the stunning Mahrez winner were not included in the list.

    Interestingly, three new players —— CSKA Moscow’s forward Chidera Ejuke, ex-Golden Eaglets captain and midfielder Samson Tijani and goalkeeper Tobias Lawal —— have also been included in the list.

    This is because Rohr is looking to improve the squad’s depth.

    Tijani who recently signed for Red Bull Salzburg has been loaned out to Austrian side TSV Hartberg, while Lawal also plays in Austria with Linz.

    Algeria on their part are likely to face the Super Eagles without six key players.

    NAN reports that Youcef Atal and his Nice teammate Hicham Boudaoui are injured and both players have been ruled out of the clash.

    Coach Belmadi will also be without the Saudi Arabia-based duo of Djamel Benlamiri and Youcef Belaili, who were part of the squad which won the AFCON in 2019.

    Also, Adam Ounas and Islam Slimani are yet to taste action this season and are unlikely to feature in the friendly.

    Nevertheless, coach Belmadi has named a strong squad for Friday’s international friendly.

    The 24-man squad features 18 players who won the 2019 AFCON in Egypt, and these include Riyad Mahrez, Ishmael Bennacer, Yacine Brahimi and Sofiane Feghouli.

    Both coaches will see the game as an opportunity to keep their players in top shape ahead of their November AFCON 2021 double-header qualification ties against Sierra Leone and Zimbabwe respectively.

    Head-to-Head statistics:

    Nigeria v Algeria

    Jan. 10, 1973: Nigeria 2 Algeria 2 (All-Africa Games, Lagos)

    March 22, 1980: Nigeria 3 Algeria 0 (AFCON, Lagos)

    Oct. 10, 1981: Nigeria 0 Algeria 2 (World Cup Qualifier, Lagos)

    Oct. 30, 1981: Algeria 2 Nigeria 1 (World Cup Qualifier Constantine)

    March 10, 1982: Algeria 2 Nigeria 1 (AFCON, Benghazi)

    March 11, 1984: Algeria 0 Nigeria 0 (AFCON, Bouake)

    Jan. 15, 1988: Algeria 1 Nigeria 0 (Olympics Qualifier, Annaba)

    Jan. 30, 1988: Nigeria 2 Algeria 0 (Olympics Qualifier, Enugu)

    March 23, 1988: Algeria 1 Nigeria 1 (AFCON, Rabat)

    (Nigeria won 9-8 penalties)

    March 2, 1990: Algeria 5 Nigeria 1 (AFCON, Algiers)

    March 16, 1990: Algeria 1 Nigeria 0 (AFCON, Algiers)

    July 13, 1993: Nigeria 4 Algeria 1 (World Cup Qualifier, Lagos)

    Oct. 8, 1993: Algeria 1 Nigeria 1 (World Cup Qualifier, Algiers)

    Jan. 21, 2002: Algeria 0 Nigeria 1 (AFCON, Bamako)

    July 3, 2004: Nigeria 1 Algeria 0 (World Cup Qualifier, Abuja)

    Sept. 4, 2005: Algeria 2 Nigeria 5 (World Cup Qualifier, Oran)

    Jan. 30, 2010: Algeria 0 Nigeria 1 (AFCON, Benguela)

    Dec. 11, 2016: Nigeria 3 Algeria 1 (World Cup Qualifier, Uyo)

    July 14, 2019: Algeria 2 Nigeria 1 (AFCON, Cairo).

    • NAN
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