Austrian authorities have arrested an 18-year-old Iraqi national in connection with a foiled terrorist plot targeting Taylor Swift's highly anticipated concerts in Vienna. The arrest marks the third detention related to the incident, which has sent ripples through the international community and left fans devastated.
The Iraqi teen, who recently pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (ISIS), was apprehended on Thursday night in Vienna. Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner confirmed the arrest, stating that the suspect "comes from the social environment" of the 19-year-old main suspect, an Austrian citizen with North Macedonian roots. This individual had allegedly stockpiled bomb-making materials, chemical substances, and technical devices at his residence, with the intent to carry out a mass casualty attack at the sold-out Eras Tour concerts.
According to authorities, the main suspect confessed to planning to "kill as many people as possible outside the concert venue," using knives or homemade explosives. The planned attack was aimed at the throngs of fans who were expected to gather outside Vienna's Ernst Happel Stadium, where up to 65,000 attendees per night were anticipated.
"This is another targeted attack on a crowded place, another act of terror by the Russians," Vadym Filashkin, head of the Donetsk region, said in a statement. Although unrelated to the Vienna plot, his comments highlight the ongoing global concerns surrounding acts of terror.
The 18-year-old Iraqi suspect, who had taken an oath of allegiance to ISIS just days before his arrest, was found to be in contact with the main suspect, although he was not directly involved in the attack plans. "He had been in contact with the main perpetrator, but is not directly connected to the attack plans," Karner explained. The third suspect, a 17-year-old, remains in pre-trial detention, while a 15-year-old was interrogated but not named as a suspect.
The foiled attack has drawn attention to the broader networks of radicalized individuals and the threat they pose. "Authorities are now scrutinizing the 'networks' of the suspects," the Austrian interior ministry stated, noting that investigators are evaluating both physical and electronic evidence related to the case.
The decision to cancel the trio of concerts in Vienna was made abruptly on Wednesday as details of the terror plot emerged. Fans who had traveled from across the globe to see Swift perform were left heartbroken by the news. Tiffany Kidd, a 41-year-old nurse from Arizona, had spent $5,000 and obtained her first passport specifically to attend the Vienna shows. "The cancellations are heartbreaking, for sure," Kidd told CNN.
Similarly, Vanessa Szombathelyi, a 24-year-old from Ireland, had planned to drive from Hungary to Vienna for what would have been her first Taylor Swift concert. "I'm feeling mixed emotions, everything from tears to being angry," Szombathelyi said. However, she expressed relief that the suspects had been apprehended before the attack could take place.
