An Austrian minister said on Friday that a third suspect, an 18-year-old Iraqi national, was arrested in Vienna over a plot to attack a Taylor Swift concert, CNN reported. German publication DW cited Minister Gerhard Karner as making the announcement, a day after two other teenagers were arrested following authorities foiling a terror attack planned for the Vienna leg of the American singer’s blockbuster Eras tour. Organizers also canceled three of Taylor Swift’s concerts planned for the Austrian capital.
According to Minister Karner, the main suspect was a 19-year-old, while a 17-year-old has also been detained. Both had sworn “oaths of allegiance” to the “Islamic State” (IS) terror group, as per DW’s report. CNN reported that international intelligence agencies helped Austrian authorities uncover the alleged plot, said Karner, after police stated the suspects were “radicalized by the internet.”
Addressing a press conference in Vienna, the country’s Director General for Public Security, Franz Ruf, said that those arrested were in contact with other individuals who knew about the plans, according to the US broadcasting outlet. The 19-year-old quit his job on July 25, saying he had “something big” planned, Ruf said, adding that he intended to detonate a device in the perimeter of the concert venue. Meanwhile, the 17-year-old, who was arrested in Vienna on Wednesday afternoon, had recently broken up with his girlfriend, CNN reported.
In a post on X, Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer called the cancellation of Swift’s concerts a “bitter disappointment for all fans in Austria” but said a tragedy had been prevented.
Swift’s Eras Tour began in Glendale, Arizona, on March 18, 2023, and has since passed through the United States, South America, Asia, and Australia. It is currently on its European leg before returning to North America. The US publication Variety reported that Swift is still scheduled to perform at Wembley Stadium in London for five more dates between August 15-20.
(With ANI Inputs)
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