Austrian police have unleashed a manhunt for a 17-year-old Afghan asylum seeker after his 16-year-old Austrian girlfriend was found dead in her bedroom by her mother.

The incident happened in Steyr, a city in the Austrian federal state of Upper Austria. Authorities believe the Afghan, Saber Akhondzada stabbed the Austrian teenager, identified only as Michelle F., out of jealousy.

According to Michelle’s family, the couple had recurring conflicts between them as the boy tried to limit his girlfriend’s movements and forbade her from talking to other men. The girl’s mother went to check on her daughter and her Afghan boyfriend.

When the woman managed to get into the room, she found the lifeless body of her daughter. An autopsy showed Michelle died from two stab wounds in her back, with one stab puncturing her lung.

The Afghan national lived in a local asylum centre and was said to have an on-and-off relationship with Michelle.
The police have launched a search for Akhondzada, who they suspect has now travelled to the Austrian capital of Vienna.