Austrian authorities announced on Thursday (August 8th) that a teenage boy from Austria has been arrested for allegedly plotting an attack on American singer Taylor Swift’s concert in Vienna. The suspect had constructed an explosive device for the attack and had sworn allegiance to the Islamic State (IS).
At a press conference, the head of the Austrian Ministry of the Interior’s Public Security Directorate, Franz Ruf, revealed that the 19-year-old suspect, of North Macedonian descent, had confessed to his actions during detention.
According to Ruf, the suspect had pledged loyalty to the leader of the Islamic State online and had prepared chemicals, knives, and technical equipment at his home in Ternitz, Austria, for the purpose of carrying out the attack.
Ruf mentioned that the chemicals have been securely stored and are currently being evaluated, without disclosing further details.
The head of Austria’s national intelligence agency, Omar Haijawi-Pirchner, stated that the unnamed suspect planned a deadly attack on the approximately 20,000 Taylor Swift fans gathered outside the Ernst Happel Stadium, aiming to kill as many people as possible using a knife or the explosive device he had made.
Two other Austrian youths, aged 17 and 15, were also arrested in connection with the thwarted plot. Authorities described the main suspect as having self-radicalized, altered his appearance, and engaged in online Islamic propaganda.
The suspect reportedly quit his job on July 25th and told people he had a “grand plan.” A neighbor of the suspect told Austrian broadcaster Puls24 that the individual was often solitary and sported a “Taliban beard.”
Reports from the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) cited sources stating that at least one suspect had pledged allegiance to the ISIS-K branch of the Islamic State on Telegram in June, though the plot was inspired by IS rather than directed by the organization’s operatives.
Austrian authorities received intelligence from U.S. agencies indicating a threat to Taylor Swift’s concert, leading to the uncovering of the plot.
Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner mentioned that foreign intelligence agencies assisted in the investigation as Austrian law prohibits the use of applications for monitoring communications. He emphasized that music concerts, particularly large-scale ones, are often targets for IS attackers.
The foiled plot evoked memories of last year’s thwarted attack by three ISIS-linked suspects targeting a Vienna gay pride parade.
IS previously established a “Caliphate” across extensive territories in Iraq and Syria, which was dismantled by a coalition led by the United States. However, despite seeking to rebuild and reshape, IS has carried out significant attacks. In November 2020, a convicted jihadist launched an assault in central Vienna, resulting in four fatalities.
The concert organizer, Barracuda Music, announced the cancellation of three scheduled shows on Wednesday evening via their Instagram channel, citing the need for safety.
Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer acknowledged the disappointment among Austrian fans following the cancellation of Taylor Swift’s concerts, underlining the severity of the planned terrorist attack in Vienna.
Taylor Swift’s three concerts in Vienna, set to begin on Thursday with an audience of 65,000 for each show, were all called off, leaving many fans who had traveled from afar shocked.
One fan, Mark del Rosario, expressed his heartbreak and frustration, stating that ultimately, safety must come first. Del Rosario flew in from the Philippines specifically to attend the concerts of the popular American singer.
Numerous fans pleaded for a postponement of the concerts rather than an outright cancellation.
Reports from the Associated Press indicated that tickets for the Vienna concerts at the stadium were sold out, with an expected turnout of 170,000 Taylor Swift fans.
The organizers assured that all tickets would be automatically refunded within the next 10 working days.
The canceled shows were part of Taylor Swift’s record-breaking “Eras Tour,” which began in Glendale, Arizona, on March 17, 2023, and was originally scheduled to conclude in Vancouver, Canada, on December 8, 2024.
British authorities stated on Thursday that there were no indications that the Vienna attack plot would affect Taylor Swift’s upcoming performance at Wembley Stadium in London next week.
In 2017, a terrorist attack occurred at American singer Ariana Grande’s concert at Manchester Arena in the UK, resulting in 22 fatalities. The perpetrator, Salman Abedi, detonated a backpack bomb as thousands of young fans were leaving the concert, causing over a hundred injuries and his own death in the blast.
An official inquiry report from last year revealed that the UK domestic intelligence agency MI5 did not act swiftly enough on crucial information, missing vital opportunities to prevent the explosion, marking one of the deadliest extremist attacks in recent years in Britain.
(Reference: Reuters report)