International Islamist confesses: Bloodbath planned at Swift concert
A 19-year-old Islamist who was arrested wanted to cause a bloodbath at a Taylor Swift concert in Austria. According to the authorities in Vienna, he had wanted to use explosives and stabbing weapons in the vicinity of the stadium and, according to current information, did not have a ticket for one of the three concerts planned for this week. A tip-off about the plans had come from a foreign secret service.
08.08.2024, 12:17
SDA
The 19-year-old had said in his extensive confession that he had intended to "kill himself and a large crowd of people either today or tomorrow", said Omar Haijawi-Pirchner, head of the Directorate of State Security and Intelligence at the Federal Ministry of the Interior, on Thursday. He had been part of an Islamist network that was known to the police. He had informed himself online about the construction of bombs.
Plans became known at the last minute
On Wednesday, less than 48 hours before US singer Taylor Swift's first live concert in Vienna, the police uncovered a plot to attack the event. In addition to the 19-year-old, they also arrested a 17-year-old and questioned a 15-year-old. Both had been in contact with the 19-year-old.
The young man had quit his job on July 25 and said that he had big plans, according to the police. He had then prepared intensively for a planned attack. The suspect had recently sworn an oath of allegiance to the current leader of the Islamic State (IS) terrorist militia.
The first of three Swift concerts was due to take place in Vienna this evening. All three concerts have been canceled. It was unclear where Taylor Swift was. She had planned further concerts in London.
Explosives and chemicals
During a search of his living quarters in Ternitz, south of Vienna, chemical substances and technical devices for explosive devices were seized, which indicated "concrete preparatory acts", said Franz Ruf, Director General for Public Security at the Ministry of the Interior.
The arrests had minimized the concrete threat situation. However, an abstract threat with an increased risk of terrorism still exists. Austria had raised the terror alert level to the second-highest level four following the attacks by the Islamist terrorist organization Hamas on Israel on 7 October.
According to Austria's Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP), the intervention of the investigators prevented a tragedy. "The situation was serious, the situation is serious," he said at a press conference. "Large concerts are often a favorite target of Islamist attackers," he said.
