Uniformed men patrol the Salzach and prepare for an attack against Salzburg’s infrastructure.
“Two males are approaching.” The voice on the radio sounds distorted. But the message is clear. Five uniformed men immediately set off in the area of the Urstein power plant, rifles at the ready. Suddenly they discover two young men who are behaving suspiciously. “Slowly put your hands where I can see them,” a soldier implores one of the suspects and quickly takes him into custody.Large-scale exercise until the end of the weekThe scene is reminiscent of a Hollywood film, but the uniformed men are not actors. They are part of the Austrian militia. And these days we are practicing at several locations with critical infrastructure in Salzburg. This is also the case with the hydroelectric power plant in Puch, which could be a possible target in the event of a terrorist attack. “That’s why we train to protect such facilities,” says Christoph Grubner. The 38-year-old is commander of the Salzburg Pioneer Company and is taking part in the exercise at the power plant with around 100 other soldiers. “So that we can defend Austria in the event of an emergency,” says Grubner. A total of 230 soldiers will be training in Hallein, Anif, Grödig, Taxach-Rif, Golling and at the Lueg Pass until the end of the week in case of an emergency.
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