Islamist Teenagers Arrested for Planning Bloodbath at Taylor Swift Concert in Vienna

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Islamist Teenagers Arrested for Planning Bloodbath at Taylor Swift Concert in Vienna

Two radicalized teenagers with links to the Islamic State were arrested for planning a terror attack at a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna.

Austrian authorities thwarted a terror plot targeting a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna, arresting two teenagers with connections to the Islamic State. The suspects, a 19-year-old Austrian citizen of North Macedonian descent and a 17-year-old with Turkish-Croatian roots, were taken into custody on Wednesday, August 7, just before the concerts were scheduled to take place at the Ernst Happel Stadium.

The head of Austria’s domestic intelligence agency, Omar Haijawi-Pirchner, announced the arrests, revealing that the 19-year-old suspect had been planning a suicide attack using explosives and knives. His goal was to inflict mass casualties during the concert. “His aim was to kill himself and a large number of people during the concert, either today or tomorrow,” Haijawi-Pirchner stated during a press conference. The terror threat led to the cancellation of all three scheduled concerts by Taylor Swift, originally set for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, which were expected to draw 65,000 spectators each night and up to 30,000 onlookers outside.

The suspects were apprehended in separate locations. The 19-year-old was arrested in Ternitz, approximately an hour from Vienna, while the 17-year-old was detained in Vienna. Authorities discovered that the older suspect had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State in recent weeks and began formulating his attack plans in July. The younger suspect had recently started working for a facility management company that provided services at the concert venue. He is also said to be a member of a local Viennese gang involved in recent street battles.

The planned attack was organized through encrypted messaging apps, and one of the suspects confessed to planning to “kill as many people as possible outside the concert venue.” Haijawi-Pirchner noted that both teenagers were radicalized online, with the 19-year-old being “clearly radicalized in the direction of the Islamic State and thinks it is right to kill infidels [non-believers].” During a search of the 19-year-old’s home, investigators found chemical substances, detonators, technical devices, Islamic State propaganda material, €21,000 in counterfeit money, and steroid-like substances. Similar materials were also found at the 17-year-old’s residence.

Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer highlighted the seriousness of the threat and commended the authorities for their swift action in preventing a potential tragedy. “The threat was very serious, and we were able to combat it early on,” Nehammer stated.

Omar Haijawi-Pirchner further warned that the Islamic State is making a resurgence, with key operatives receiving instructions from abroad. The investigation also uncovered a broader Islamist network operating within Austria. The threat of Islamist extremism in Europe has escalated since Hamas’ terror attack on Israel on October 7 last year, with numerous plots linked to the Islamic State emerging in recent months.

In December, Austrian authorities foiled a planned terror attack on St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna, and the security alert level had been elevated before the Taylor Swift concerts. Interior Minister Gerhard Karner supported the decision to cancel the events, citing the ongoing terror threat. He also referenced a recent attack in the UK at a Taylor Swift-themed event where three children were killed by the son of Rwandan immigrants, which led to days of rioting.

Taylor Swift is scheduled to perform five concerts at London’s Wembley Stadium between August 15 and 20. Although no cancellations have been announced, British authorities are reviewing security measures in light of the Vienna incident.

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