Austria arrests 2 Paris attacks suspects in refugee camp

(Image credit: GUENTER SCHIFFMANN/AFP/Getty Images)

published 16 December 2015

Two French citizens posing as Middle Eastern refugees were arrested in a Salzburg refugee camp by Austrian authorities on Wednesday; officials believe the men were involved in the Paris terrorist attacks that killed 130 in November. The suspects are thought to have traveled with some of the Paris attackers through Greece and the Balkans in October, according to Austrian newspaper Kronen-Zeitung. Both reportedly carried fake Syrian passports and had Pakistani and Algerian roots.

Austrian Ministry of Justice official Christian Pilnacek dismissed rumors that the suspects had been waiting for orders for new attacks in the camp. He further warned against linking the migrant crisis to terrorism, saying, "Refugees shouldn't come under general suspicion — that would not be appropriate."

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.

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