The Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) is urging the Filipino community in Vienna to stay alert and calm, and remain indoors.

As of this posting, reports say at least four have killed and 17 people wounded following a multiple gun attack at six different locations near the central synagogue in the capital’s city center Monday evening.

The attack happened just hours before Austria imposed new nationwide restrictions to control the rising number of COVID-19 cases.

Interior Minister Karl Nehammer described the assailant killed by police as an “Islamist terrorist”.

The DFA said no Filipino was affected by the incident, but they also them to heed the advice of the Vienna authorities.

Currently, the police are urging people to stay away from the city center. Compulsory school attendance has been suspended on Tuesday.

“The Vienna Police confirmed that several suspects with rifles began their attack around 2000H CET in the center of Vienna. As operations are still ongoing, the Vienna Police has requested all residents to stay indoors,” the DFA said in a statement on Tuesday.

As of 2018, the Filipino community in Austria numbered roughly 30,000. Many are Overseas Filipino Workers.

Image by Michael Kleinsasser from Pixabay