Austria to investigate possible link with Mumbai attacks: ministry

VIENNA: Austria plans to open an investigation into reports that militants in last week's Mumbai attacks used an Austrian telephone number to communicate during the siege.

"We have requested permission from the prosecutor's office in Vienna to open an investigation," interior ministry spokesman Rudolf Gollia tsaid.

He said the ministry had received information from a foreign intelligence agency, although not India's, that the militants had used an Austrian telephone number to communicate.

But he could not confirm that an Austrian SIM card had been found. The number had been sold by an Austrian phone company to a foreign provider, which was how the Mumbai attackers got hold of it, he added, noting that foreign phone numbers were commonly sold on the international market.

"We are not aware of any other connection" (between the Mumbai attackers and Vienna), Gollia said. The ministry was trying to obtain more information from Interpol, which has a team of experts in Mumbai, he added.

Islamist gunmen attacked multiple targets in India's financial capital last week, killing 163 people and wounding another 300 at two major hotels, a train station and a Jewish centre. Nine of the attackers were killed, while one was captured alive.