Two Austrian citizens from Turkish backgrounds have been hailed for helping a police officer and an elderly woman during Monday's attack in Vienna.

Recep Tayyip Gultekin and Mikail Ozen said they were in Vienna city centre when they heard gunshots, after which they headed in the direction of the noise and saw a gunman shooting a passerby.

Gultekin carried an elderly woman to a restaurant.“After I carried the wounded woman to a nearby restaurant, the terrorist pointed his gun at me,” Gultekin said, adding he threw himself to the ground and was lightly hurt in the leg.

The two also carried an injured police officer to safety after a Palestinian man, Osama Joda, gave him first aid. According to *BBC* Joda saw one of the police officers who arrived at the scene was also shot. He then helped to drag the officer to a nearby ambulance and was assisted in this by Özen and Gultekin.

Austrian Interior Minister Karl Nehammer and Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu have both praised the two heroes. "Last night there were two heroes in #Vienna. Recep Tayyip and Mikail did what a true Turk and Muslim is expected to do! Thank you young men. WE ARE PROUD OF YOU!” Cavusoglu tweeted.