Police sound the alarm

Bomb threat in Eisenstadt: large-scale operation underway

This is now the eighth major operation for the police due to bomb threat letters received.

(Bild: Markus Tschepp)

After train stations in several federal states have been affected by bomb threats in recent days, the security authorities are continuing their investigations into the authors of the threatening letters. On Friday, the police also sounded the alarm for Eisenstadt railroad station.

After seven major police operations in large parts of the country, a bomb threat has now also reached Eisenstadt railroad station. The pattern is always the same: A threat is received by the provincial police headquarters of the respective province, stating that explosive devices have been planted at train stations - all sent by email.

Evacuation of the entire station area
The threat was received at around 1 p.m. and was taken very seriously, as the Burgenland police emphasized. The station was then evacuated and special forces were on site. The area was searched with explosives detection dogs. The operation continued until shortly before 14:00. 

The area was then cleared again shortly before 4 p.m., according to the Burgenland Provincial Police Directorate. Earlier on Thursday evening, a similar threat had been received at Innsbruck main station and Westbahnhof. Both stations were searched immediately, but nothing was found, according to the Tyrol Provincial Police Directorate. It was therefore not necessary to close the stations and the situation was resolved immediately. As in previous cases, the threat was sent by email.

Among others, explosives experts and sniffer dogs were deployed. Investigations into the identification of the perpetrator(s) were carried out by the Tyrol State Office for State Security and Counter-Extremism. It is not possible to say with certainty whether there was a direct connection with the previous bomb threats, but it "cannot be ruled out".

Already eight major operations in Austria
There had previously been threats against the train stations in Graz, Linz, Salzburg, St. Pölten, Klagenfurt, Bregenz and Innsbruck. At the main square in Amstetten, six suspicious packages had also caused the main square to be secured on a large scale.

The Ministry of the Interior referred to the ongoing investigations on behalf of the State Security and Intelligence Service Directorate, which is responsible for the series of threats. Questions about a possible perpetrator profile, a motive and the background had to be left open for the time being "for tactical investigative reasons", a spokeswoman explained. The spokesperson also did not want to answer the question of whether further threats were received throughout Austria on Friday.

Such threats against public institutions "occur again and again", it was stated. However, it was emphasized: "Actual attacks on railroad facilities and the like with explosives have not taken place since 1945", according to the Ministry of the Interior.

Police warn against free riders
Based on the content of the letters, the police currently assume that the same author was at work in all cases. In security circles, there are now doubts about the seriousness of the alleged threats.

Nevertheless, the authorities also warned of possible free riders on Friday. It was only on Thursday that the Lower Austrian police stated that such crimes are by no means trivial. Police spokesman Johann Baumschlager concluded by warning that the authors could be charged with making a dangerous threat (penalty of up to one year) or land coercion (penalty of up to three years).