At least 11 people have been wounded after armed men attacked crowds of worshippers in a Sikh temple in the Austrian capital of Vienna, police have said.

Six men firing a gun and wielding knives attacked the temple, or gurdwara, in Vienna-Rudolfsheim on Sunday as up to 300 people took part in a ceremony, Michael Takacs, a police spokesman, said.

The violence involved members of several rival Sikh temples in Vienna who had been feuding for several years, local authorities and witnesses initially said.

Michael Froschl, an Austrian radio reporter, told Al Jazeera: "This is the first act of violence involving Sikhs in Vienna.

"This religious fighting has come as a shock to the city, as the area is multi-cultural and lives normally go on on here without violence.

'Severely wounded'

"The full details of the attack are unclear as most of the injured were severely wounded and have been unable to talk to police," he said.

He said there was speculation feuding had broken out after one group tried to gain worshippers from another temple.

The preacher, who had come from India especially for the service, was unharmed, Froschl added.

The attackers were also injured and taken to hospital.

The Sikh community has tens of thousands of followers in Austria.

About 25 million people observe the Sikh faith worldwide, most of them in northern India.

al jazeera.com