'Seven dead and several injured near Vienna synagogue

At least seven people are thought to have been killed with several others injured in a suspected gun and suicide attack near a synagogue in Vienna.

The incident is currently ongoing with a huge manhunt underway for several attackers and hostages also reportedly being held at a restaurant near the scene.

One attacker is thought to have 'blown themselves up' during the rampage.

Kronen Zeitung, Austria's largest newspaper, is reporting the incident as a terror attack, with a police officer said to have been shot and left in a critical condition.

At the same time, hostages are reportedly being held at Akakiko restaurant on Mariahilfer Strauss following shooting.

Shocking social media footage shows a man carrying an assault rifle sprinting through the streets and firing off shots, though it is unclear if he is the gunman behind the attack.

Though Vienna police have yet to officially confirm the nature of the incident, they are ordering the public to stay away from the city centre and public transport.

Oskar Deutsch, the head of the Jewish community in Vienna, said the shooting took place in the street where the city's main synagogue is located but that it wasn't clear whether the house of worship had been targeted.

The synagogue was already closed at the time of the shooting, Deutsch tweeted. A neighbouring restaurant was also closed.