A 19-year-old man arrested in Vienna on Wednesday had been planning a suicide attack at a Taylor Swift concert in the Austrian capital, local intelligence services announced on Thursday, August 8th.
“He said he intended to carry out an attack using explosives and knives. His aim was to kill himself and a large number of people during the concert, either today or tomorrow,” the head of the domestic intelligence agency, Omar Haijawi-Pirchner told a news conference. He was referring to three concerts by the U.S. pop singer that were supposed to take place at the Ernst Happel Stadium on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, but were cancelled due to the terror threat.
About 65,000 spectators were expected at each show, and as many as 30,000 onlookers outside.
Authorities arrested the 19-year-old, an Austrian with North Macedonian roots, in the town of Ternitz, an hour’s drive from Vienna. His accomplice, a 17-year-old with Turkish-Croatian roots, was detained in Vienna. The former had pledged his allegiance to the Islamic State terror organisation in recent weeks and began working on his attack plans in July. He is said to have quit his job some time ago.
The latter, meanwhile, was employed a few days ago by a facility management company providing services at the venue for the concerts. He is said to be a member of one of the local Viennese gangs that have attacked each other in recent street battles
They organised their planned attack via encrypted messenger communication. One of the two confessed to planning to “kill as many people as possible outside the concert venue.”
Both suspects were radicalised on the internet. Omar Haijawi-Pirchner said the 19-year-old was “clearly radicalised in the direction of the Islamic State and thinks it is right to kill infidels [non-believers].” Investigators found chemical substances, detonators, and technical devices in his home, indicating “concrete preparatory acts.” They also discovered Islamic State propaganda material, €21,000 in counterfeit money, and steroid-like substances.
Authorities also found Islamic State and al-Qaeda material at the home of the second suspect.
Chancellor Karl Nehammer said the “very serious” threat had been combatted early to prevent any tragedy.
Omar Haijawi-Pirchner stated: “IS is back; key players are receiving instructions from abroad.” During the investigations, Austrian intelligence came across an Islamist network.
The danger posed by Islamist extremism in Europe has increased significantly following Hamas’ terror attack on Israel on October 7th last year. Terrorists linked to the Islamic State have plotted many attacks in recent months, targeting the Paris Olympics, the Swedish parliament, a Brussels concert hall, churches and synagogues in Germany, and threatened to target Champions League football games, and the Euro 2024 football tournament in Germany. The group also claimed responsibility for the major terror attack on Moscow Concert Hall in March.
Austria foiled a planned terror attack last December on St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna, and the security alert had been on the second highest level before the Taylor Swift concerts. “I therefore understand the organiser’s decision to cancel the concert,” Interior Minister Gerhard Karner said.
He also drew a link to the British Taylor Swift-themed event where three children were killed by the son of Rwandan immigrants. The attack was followed by days of rioting. Taylor Swift is set to perform at London’s Wembley Stadium in five concerts between August 15th and 20th. There are no plans as of yet to cancel these concerts, but British authorities are reviewing the security preparedness.
