A spokesman for the heavily guarded Stein centre, located about 80 kilometres from the Austrian capital, told AFP: Tawfiq bin Ahmed Shoufali (64 years old) “died in his cell,” without providing details about the circumstances of his death.
On December 27, 1985, Shovali and two others threw hand grenades and opened fire on passengers in front of the El Al Israel Airlines counter at the airport, killing three people and wounding 39 others.
On the same day, an attack killed 16 people and injured 100 others at Rome airport.
The Fatah Revolutionary Council movement, led by Abu Nidal, claimed responsibility for the two attacks.
Police arrested Shovali and another man named Munji bin Abdullah Al-SaadouiThey were accused by the public prosecutor of planning to cause a “bloodbath”, and were sentenced to life imprisonment after their trial in Vienna in 1987.
Al-Saadawi was released after 22 years and left for Jordan.
In 1995, Çovali managed to escape, but was captured two hours later in the basement of an apartment building.
He made another attempt in November 1996, taking three female employees hostage, before being overpowered and sentenced to an additional 19 years in prison.
