An Austrian teenager arrested for allegedly plotting to attack a Taylor Swift concert planned to carry out a deadly suicide attack and pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (IS), authorities said yesterday.
The 19-year-old, originally from North Macedonia, fully admitted his guilt in custody, Franz Ruf, Director General of Public Security in Austria, said at a press conference.
He pledged allegiance to the leader of the IS group online and had chemicals, machetes and technical devices at his home in the town of Ternic in preparation for the attack, Ruf added.
The suspect, whose name has not been released in accordance with Austrian privacy rules, planned the deadly attack among about 20.000 "Swifties", fans of the American pop singer, who were supposed to gather in front of the Ernst Hapel stadium, said the head of the national intelligence service Omar Haidzavi- Pirhner.
"He wanted to carry out an attack in the area outside the stadium, to kill as many people as possible with knives or even explosive devices he made," he added.
The Macedonian portal "360 degrees" announced that it was Beran Aliji, originally from Gostivar.
"The main perpetrator admitted that he should have carried out the suicide attack with two accomplices," Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehamer said.
"The suspects actually had very specific and detailed plans ... to leave bloodshed in their wake."
The second suspect, a 17-year-old Austrian citizen whose parents are from Turkey and Croatia, was arrested by special police forces near the stadium where the concerts were to be held on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
He took a job a few days ago with a firm that provides services at the concert venue, according to security officials.
A 15-year-old boy was also arrested in connection with the failed conspiracy.
Authorities said the main suspect had radicalized himself, changed his appearance to conform to IS rules, and shared Islamist propaganda on the Internet. He left the job on July 25, telling people he had "big plans," Ruf said.
One neighbor told Austrian television Puls24 that he was withdrawn and had grown a "Taliban beard".
Event organizer Barracuda Music announced that it canceled three Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna in coordination with her management team. They were all sold out and were supposed to be held in front of 65.000 spectators.
The suspect radicalized himself, changed his appearance to conform to IS rules and shared Islamist propaganda on the Internet
The fans, many of whom had traveled long distances to Vienna, expressed both displeasure and understanding.
"It's heartbreaking, it's frustrating. But in the end, I guess it's for everyone's safety," said Mark del Rosario, who flew in from the Philippines to see the popular singer.
Some fans begged the organizers to postpone the concert instead of canceling it altogether. The promoters said they would refund the money for the tickets.
The American media announced that the Austrian authorities had received information about the threat of an attack from American intelligence.
US TV network ABC reported that at least one of the suspects pledged allegiance to ISIS-K, a resurgent IS branch, on Telegram in June, although the plot was inspired by the group and not directly directed by its operatives.
Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner said foreign intelligence services helped in the investigation, as Austrian law does not allow tracking of messaging apps.
Event organizer Live Nation urged fans of Coldplay, which is scheduled to perform at the same stadium on August 21, to remain calm and said it was in contact with the authorities. He did not comment on whether the concert will be held.
British police said yesterday that there was no indication that the planned attack in Vienna would affect Taylor Swift's performances at Wembley in London next week.
"Concerts are often a favorite target of Islamist attackers, big concerts," Karner said, recalling the 2015 attack on Paris' Bataclan and the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing where American pop star Ariana Grande was performing.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan said the city is looking forward to the return of Taylor Swift to Wembley Arena, for five announced (and sold out) concerts. He said that the capital of Britain and the police have learned lessons from the attack in Manchester Arena, when 22 people were killed.
Last year, a plan by three IS-linked suspects to attack a gay parade in Vienna was foiled.
A US-led coalition largely defeated IS several years ago after it established a "caliphate" across large parts of Iraq and Syria, but it has managed to mount several major attacks as it tries to rebuild.
Reuters reports that Austrian authorities have reshaped the national security intelligence service after a 2020 attack by a convicted jihadist in central Vienna that killed four people.
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