Vienna: Global popstar Taylor Swift's three concerts in Vienna were cancelled on Wednesday after authorities confirmed and foiled an apparent attack plot. Austrian Chancellor said a "tragedy was prevented" thanks to the intervention of the police and the Directorate of Security and Intelligence as two suspects were arrested.
Swift was scheduled to play at the Austrian capital's Ernst Happel Stadium on Thursday, Friday and Saturday as part of her Eras Tour. However, event organiser Barracuda Music said in a post on its Instagram channel late Wednesday that "we have no choice but to cancel the three scheduled shows for everyone's safety", citing government official's confirmation of a planned attack at the stadium. All tickets would be automatically refunded, it added.
"The cancellation of the Taylor Swift concerts by the organizers is a bitter disappointment for all fans in Austria. The situation surrounding the apparently planned terrorist attack in Vienna was very serious. Thanks to the intensive cooperation of our police and the newly established DSN with foreign services, the threat was recognized early, combated and a tragedy was prevented," Nehammer said on X.
Two suspects arrested in foiled attack
Franz Ruf, director general for public security, said Austrian police had detained two people suspected of plotting attacks on concerts. "During our investigations, we identified preparatory actions and noted that the 19-year-old suspect had a particular focus on the Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna," Ruf said, adding that the suspect, an Austrian citizen, had pledged allegiance to the Islamic state.
Another suspect was arrested in the Austrian capital, while three suspects were still on the run, according to local media. Before the events were cancelled, police had said the events would take place but with increased entry checks and personal searches, with the deployment of special units including anti-terror and bomb disposal teams, advising the public to arrive early at the events.
Police had been expecting around 65,000 attendees at each show, as well as up to 15,000 people outside the stadium without tickets, which fed security concerns. Swift, 34, has not yet commented on the cancellations on her official Instagram account which has 283 million followers.
Islamic State material found in suspect's home
As per Austrian security authorities, the second suspect, a 17-year-old Austrian citizen with Turkish and Croatian roots, was arrested near the stadium where the concerts were supposed to take place. The two suspects wanted to commit an attack using self-made explosives and knives, officials said.
They told reporters at a press conference in Vienna that the main suspect, a 19-year-old Austrian with North Macedonian roots, fully confessed his attack plans. They said he was “clearly radicalised in the direction of the Islamic State and thinks it is right to kill infidels.” More alarmingly, investigators found extensive material related to the Islamic State group and Al-Qaeda at the home of the second suspect.
Chemical substances and technical devices were found at the house of the 19-year-old suspect's house, Ruf said. Chancellor Nehammer also condemned Islamist terrorism, saying it threatened security and freedom in several Western countries. Austrian authorities had received information about the Swift concert threat from US intelligence, and one of the suspects had pledged allegiance to the ISIS-K, a resurgent wing of Islamic State, sources told ABC News. Ruf said there was a constant exchange of information with foreign partners, which together with Austrian authorities' own intelligence had solidified into a specific threat situation.
The cancellations devastated the fans of Swift, who enjoys a massive fan following and has taken Europe by storm with her record-breaking Eras tour. Fans had spent thousands of euros on travel and lodging in Austria’s expensive capital city for the sold-out Eras Tour shows later this week.
(with inputs from agencies)
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