Police said the suspect in the incident was a 23-year-old Syrian asylum seeker who was detained at the scene.

Police are yet to establish a motive but have involved extremism specialists in the investigation, a spokesman told BBC News.

The incident occurred at around 16.00 local time.

A delivery worker who had driven his vehicle at the attacker helped prevent more injuries, police told BBC.

The identity of the teen who was killed in the incident is still not known.

Austria's President Alexander Van der Bellen describes the attack as 'horrific'

Austria's President Alexander Van der Bellen wrote on X: "The knife attack in Villach, which resulted in the death of a young person and left several others seriously injured, is horrific. No words can undo the suffering, the horror, the fear. My thoughts are with the family of the deceased victim and the injured."

Interior Minister Gerhard Karner claimed the suspect had link with Islamic State group and he was radicalised online.

"It is an Islamist attack with IS connections," Karner told reporters as quoted by DW.

Austrian politicians react

Far-right leader Herbert Kickl wrote on X: "It is normal and logical that no mass migrant could commit a murder or any other crime here if he wasn't in Austria in the first place."

Conservative party leader Christian Stocker wrote on the platform: " We all want to live in a safe Austria. That means we must also do everything we can politically to prevent such horrific acts in the future."