Several people have been injured and officers are out in force after gunfire in Vienna, police in the Austrian capital said.
Oskar Deutsch, the head of the Jewish community in Vienna, said the shooting took place in the street where the city’s main synagogue is located but that it was not clear whether it had been targeted.
The synagogue was closed at the time of the shooting, Mr Deutsch tweeted.
There is a larger police operation going on in the 1st district of Vienna (Inner City area). Officers are on site and check the Situation. We keep you posted on the matter.
— POLIZEI WIEN (@LPDWien) November 2, 2020
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Austrian news agency APA quoted the country’s Interior Ministry as saying one attacker had been killed and another could be on the run.
Police said the operation in the centre of the city is ongoing and urged people to avoid open spaces and public transport.
Officers said trams and buses were not stopping in the city centre, and urged social media users not to post videos of the police operation, so as not to endanger officers.
“There are several injured persons,” police tweeted. “We are on site with all available forces. Please avoid all public squares in the city.”
Police added that the circumstances of the incident are still being determined.
Austrian public broadcaster ORF cited witnesses as saying several shots were fired shortly after 8pm local time.
