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Austria police find body after siege | Austria police find body after siege |
(35 minutes later) | |
Austrian police have found a body they believe is a man suspected of shooting dead three policemen and a paramedic. | Austrian police have found a body they believe is a man suspected of shooting dead three policemen and a paramedic. |
The charred body was discovered at the farmhouse where he lived near Melk, Lower Austria, after special forces stormed the building. | The charred body was discovered at the farmhouse where he lived near Melk, Lower Austria, after special forces stormed the building. |
The commandos searched the house for several hours, as the man was reportedly heavily armed. | The commandos searched the house for several hours, as the man was reportedly heavily armed. |
The drama began on Monday when officers tried to arrest the man on suspicion of poaching near the town of Annaberg. | |
Shock | |
Police tried to stop his car, but the man - said to be in his mid-50s - reportedly opened fire after heading into a ditch, injuring a police officer who later died in hospital. | |
A paramedic was shot dead as he tried to help the officer, and a second policeman was injured. | |
The gunman then fled on foot, killing a second police officer and taking a third hostage. | |
He stole their police car and drove, with his captive, to his farmhouse, about 90km (55 miles) west of the capital Vienna. | |
Officials later discovered the body of the third policeman at the farm. A large section of the area was cordoned off. | Officials later discovered the body of the third policeman at the farm. A large section of the area was cordoned off. |
About 100 special forces officers on armoured police vehicles were involved in the operation, eventually storming the farmhouse. | |
Sporadic shots were earlier fired at officers, who at the time described the situation as "terrible and very explosive". | |
Reports say that the suspect then set himself on fire, but this has not been officially confirmed. | |
The BBC's Bethany Bell in Vienna says there is a sense of shock in Austria. The interior minister said the whole country was mourning the shot policemen and the paramedic. |