An 18-year-old Iraqi youth who “pledged allegiance” to the Islamic State terrorist group several days ago has become the third suspect arrested in connection with a thwarted plot to attack a canceled Taylor Swift concert in Austria, authorities said.
Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Kerner said the individual “came from the social environment” of the 19-year-old ringleader, an Austrian of North Macedonian descent who was allegedly in possession of bomb-making materials, chemicals and technical equipment at his home. Authorities said the suspect confessed to planning to use knives and homemade explosives to kill as many people as possible outside the venue of a sold-out concert at the Eras tour, due to take place this week.
“He was in contact with the masterminds but was not directly involved in planning the attack,” Kerner told The Associated Press on Friday, “but as we learned a few days ago, he specifically pledged allegiance to ISIS on Aug. 6.”
The latest suspect was arrested Reuters cited a report from the Interior Ministry. A man believed to be an Iraqi national was shot in Vienna on Thursday night. As part of the investigation, a 17-year-old boy has also been arrested and a 15-year-old boy has been questioned but has not been named as a suspect.
Taylor Swift terror plot: Suspect who pledged allegiance to ISIS had chemicals, devices in home
Taylor Swift will perform in Munich, Germany on July 27th. (Thomas Niedermuller/TAS24/Getty Images)
Omar Hajjawi Pirchner, director of the National Security Intelligence Agency, said on Thursday that the 19-year-old main attacker “is clearly committed to the Islamic State and believes that killing infidels is right.”
The Austrian Interior Ministry told The Associated Press on Friday that authorities were currently examining the suspect’s “network,” adding in a statement that investigators were beginning to evaluate physical and electronic evidence.
Taylor Swift fans, known as “Swifties,” sang and danced in Vienna on Friday, August 9, despite the cancellation of her Eras Tour concerts. (AP/Heinz Peter Bader)
Swift was scheduled to perform concerts at Vienna’s Ernst Happel Stadium this Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
Concert organizers in Austria said they expected up to 65,000 fans inside the stadium for each concert and up to 30,000 spectators outside, and authorities said the suspects were planning the attacks. Kerner said the thwarted attacks had been planned for Thursday or Friday.
Security expert tells us what to know about Taylor Swift’s next show after plan goes awry
A picture was flashed on a screen showing the man arrested in connection with an alleged terrorist plot to target Taylor Swift’s concert in Vienna, Austria this week, which has now been postponed. (Roland Schlager/APA/AFP via Getty Images)
The three shows were abruptly cancelled on Wednesday after news of a suspected terror plot emerged.
However, the five-concert series, which begins next Thursday at London’s Wembley Stadium, will go ahead as scheduled.
Police vehicles are seen parked outside the Ernst Happel Stadium in Vienna, Austria, on Thursday, August 8. Taylor Swift’s three-night show there, scheduled for Thursday, Friday and Saturday, was canceled after Austrian police said they thwarted a suspected attack on the venue. (Thomas Kronsteiner/Getty Images)
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Swift had not commented on the allegedly thwarted terror plot as of Friday morning.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
