From the Liveblog of
Tuesday, November 3, 2020
IS claims Vienna attack, releases video of shooter pledging allegiance to caliph
The Islamic State terror group takes official responsibility for last night’s attack in Vienna, which left four dead and 15 wounded.
In a statement delivered over a Telegram channel linked to the terror group, IS recounts how “the Caliphate’s soldier, Abu Dajana al-Albani” attacked “gatherings of Crusaders” in downtown Vienna.
“All praise and favor to God,” the statement concludes.
The alleged perpetrator, Kujtim Fejzulai, was shot and killed by police during the incident. Fejzulai was an ethnic Albanian, which could explain his Arabic nom de guerre, which literally means “the Albanian.”
In a video distributed by the terror group, Fejzulai can be seen pledging allegiance to the IS caliph, Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi, while he holds a gun and a long, serrated knife.
“The Islamic State remains, if God wills it,” Fejzulai says in a reference to the IS motto that it is “remaining and expanding.”
Fejzulai was sentenced to 22 months in prison in April 2019 because he had tried to travel to Syria to join the Islamic State terror. Austrian officials said he had been placed in a de-radicalization program, but had managed to “fool” it and get released early.
“The perpetrator managed to fool the de-radicalization program of the justice system, to fool the people in it, and to get an early release through this,” Austrian Interior Ministry said earlier today.
— Aaron Boxerman
The Times of Israel Community.