VIENNA: An Austrian teenager arrested over an alleged plot to strike a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna had built explosive devices for his attack and had pledged loyalty to the militant Islamic State group, authorities said on Thursday.

The 19-year-old man, who has North Macedonian roots, made a full confession in custody, Austria’s general director for public security Franz Ruf told a news conference.

He swore allegiance to the IS group’s leader on the internet and had chemicals, machetes, and technical devices at his home in the town of Ternitz in preparation for an attack, Ruf added.

The suspect, whose name was not given, was planning a lethal assault among the estimated 20,000 “Swiftie” fans set to gather outside Ernst Happel Stadium, said national intelligence head Omar Haijawi-Pirchner.

US singer cancels three concerts in Vienna

“He wanted to carry out an attack in the area outside the stadium, killing as many people as possible using the knives or even using the explosive devices he had made,” he said, adding there were no explicit threats to other concerts.

Two other Austrian youths aged 17 and 15 were also detained on Wednesday over the foiled plot.

Authorities painted a picture of the main suspect as having self-radicalised, transforming his appearance and sharing Islamist propaganda online. He quit his job on July 25, telling people he had “big plans”, Ruf said.

One neighbour told Austrian broadcaster Puls24 that he kept himself to himself and had grown a “Taliban beard”.

Swift’s three concerts in Vienna, due to start on Thursday for a sold-out 65,000 audience each, were cancelled, to the consternation of fans, many of whom had travelled far.

“It’s just heartbreaking, just frustrating. But at the end of the day I guess it’s for everyone’s safety,” said Mark del Rosario, who had flown from the Philippines to see the wildly popular US singer.

Music world rocked

US broadcaster ABC cited law enforcement and intelligence sources as saying Austrian authorities had received information about the Swift concert threat from US intelligence.

It cited the sources as saying at least one of the suspects had pledged allegiance to ISIS-K, a resurgent wing of IS, on Telegram in June, though the plot was IS-inspired rather than directed by the group’s operatives.

Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner said foreign intelligence agencies had helped with the investigation, as Austrian law does not allow monitoring of messenger apps.

Event organiser Live Nation urged fans of Coldplay, which is due to play at the same stadium on Aug 21, to stay calm and said it was in contact with authorities.

It did not comment on whether the show would take place.

British police said on Thursday there was nothing to indicate that the planned attack in Vienna would have an impact on Swift’s shows at Wembley Stadium in London next week.

Large concerts are often a preferred target of attackers, said Karner, listing the 2015 attack on Paris’ Bataclan venue and the 2017 bombing at the Manchester Arena where US pop star Ariana Grande had played.

The plot in Austria also brought to mind a foiled plan by three IS-linked suspects against Vienna’s gay pride parade last year.

Published in Dawn, August 9th, 2024