Missing Austrian Teen Surfaces on Internet Video as Islamic State Jihadi

Missing Austrian Teen Surfaces on Internet Video as Islamic State Jihadi

A 16-year-old student whom Interpol reported missing has surfaced in an Internet video calling upon fellow Muslims to join the Islamic State terror group. The Viennese teenager said that killing “infidels” was now his main goal.

Austria’s The Local reported that the light-haired teenager was filmed in what some believe is a Syrian slaughterhouse, as dead sheep could be seen in the background of the video.

The once-missing teen, Oliver N, has been missing since August 23rd. Reports emerged in late September that he had been sending “threatening” text messages to fellow classmates. Oliver was reportedly enrolled at a vocational school for industry, economy, and transport.

School officials said that once Oliver converted to Islam, he immediately began to behave and act vastly different. Previously described as a “very nice student,” his behavior radically changed.

According to The Local, the school’s director, Erich Macho, told Austrian outlet ORF:

[Oliver] was a very nice student, but towards the end of the last school year he converted to Islam and at this point his behaviour changed. He was very open about his conversion – and it was also obvious by his behaviour and things that he said. In hindsight it’s easy to say that we should have done something – he was also distributing Islamic material to students and teachers.

Erich’s friend Claudia reportedly told Der Standard, “It was as if someone had turned a switch in him,” adding that he had posted on Facebook a picture of a heavily-covered woman and called her his wife. “He was a very nice person who hadn’t had an easy life,” she stated.

Austria’s Interior Ministry estimates that about 160 of its nationals have gone to Syria and Iraq to fight with Islamic State militants.

COMMENTS

Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.