The problems encountered in the pursuit of the North Macedonian citizen Kujtim Fejzulai, the ISIS "sympathizer", who organized an attack in Vienna on November 2, were announced yesterday by former Interior Minister Herbert Kickl.

It was thus revealed that Kujtim Fejzulai, who was sentenced to 22 months in prison for planning to go to Syria to join ISIS gangs in 2018, was released early from prison in December last year. Thereupon, he was reportedly released because he managed to deceive the "reintegration" or "deradicalization" program experts in prison and convinced them that he regretted.

However, an allegation made yesterday shows that the Austrian police made a serious failure in the pursuit of the ISIS member. Herbert Kickl, the far-right FPÖ executive and the Minister of the Interior in the coalition government until last year, made public the warning sent by Slovak police on Fejzulai.

According to the document announced by Kickl, Fejzulai tried to buy Kalashnikov brand gun bullets in Slovakia in July. The attempt of Fejzulai, who could not receive the bullets because he did not have the necessary documents, was forwarded to the Austrian secret service by the Slovak intelligence.

In the meantime, it was learned that Fejzulai went to Slovakia with a vehicle belonging to his mother and the license plate of the vehicle was given to the Austrian authorities. While all this information was confirmed by the current Interior Minister Karl Nehammer, the minister blamed the far-right Herbert Kickl for disclosing the information. Nehammer argued that Kickl harmed public security.

In the massacre that took place in Vienna on 2 November, 4 people were killed and many were injured. Austrian police are investigating whether Kujtim Fejzulai, who was killed in the first hours of the operation, which lasted for hours after the massacre, was alone or received assistance from other people. Statements of 14 people have been taken so far within the scope of the investigation.