Austria orders ban on ‘radical mosques’ across country in the wake of terrorist attack in Vienna

Austrian authorities have decided to close “radical mosques” across the country following a terrorist attack by hardline Islamists in Vienna. The shootings across the city left four people dead and more than 20 injured.

Austria’s interior and integration ministers announced the closure of radical mosques, APA news agency reported on Friday. The step was taken following a crisis meeting between the ministers and the head of the Islamic Religious Community of Austria (IGGO), Umit Vural.

It was not immediately clear how many mosques will be affected by the closure or how the prayer houses will be deemed to be “radical” enough. Further details are expected to be announced by Austrian officials later in the day.

The deadly attacks occurred across Austria’s capital late on Monday, a week after terrorist attack in Paris. Four people were gunned down near a synagogue in central Vienna, with 23 more injured in multiple shootings across the city.

The statement said the mosque was being shut after information came to light that it had broken rules over “religious doctrine and its constitution”, as well as national legislation governing Islamic institutions.

Also on Friday the Vienna prosecutor’s department told AFP that six of the 16 people detained since the attack have been released, with the rest remaining in custody as the probe into the attacker’s circle continues.

The suspected gunman, dual Austrian-Macedonian national Fejzulai, had previously been convicted for trying to join Daesh in Syria. Searches were conducted in Switzerland as well as Germany related to the frequent Islamic terrorist attacks in Europe and several people were arrested.