Organizers announced the cancellation of this week’s festivities late Wednesday after two supporters of the “Islamic State” group were arrested on suspicion of planning terrorist attacks.
“Thanks to intensive cooperation between our police and the newly established DSN [Valsts drošības un izlūkošanas direktorātu]apart from foreign services, the threat was recognized in time, it was fought and the accident was prevented,” wrote Nähammer on the “X” platform.
The chancellor admitted that it was a huge disappointment for fans that the concerts had to be cancelled, but stressed that “the situation related to the planned terrorist attack in Vienna to good bad”.
“We live in a time when violent means are being used to attack our Western way of life,” said Nähammer.
“Islamic terrorism threatens security and freedom in many Western countries. Therefore, we will not give up our values of freedom and democracy, but we will defend them even more strongly,” the chancellor said.
A 19-year-old man who sympathized with the Islamic State terrorist group is planning a suicide attack at a Swift concert in Vienna, killing many people, Austrian intelligence said Thursday.
Austrian authorities arrested two young men on Wednesday on suspicion of planning an attack at the concerts of an American pop star.
The main suspect, who is 19 years old, has confessed.
According to the young man, he “planned to carry out an attack using explosives and knives”, announced the head of DSN Omar Haijawi-Pirchner at a press conference.
“His aim was to kill himself and a large number of people at a concert today or tomorrow,” he said.
The other suspect, a 17-year-old Austrian, was employed by a facilities management company that allegedly “provided services” at the Ernst Happel stadium, where Swift was scheduled to play, Haijawi-Pirchner said.
The younger suspect, who has so far refused to speak to authorities, was in the stadium area when he was arrested, the DSN chief said.
“The accident was avoided,” said Interior Minister Gerhard Karner.
“The situation was very bad,” he said, especially in light of the recent attack at a Taylor Swift-themed event in Britain where three girls were killed.
Explosives and fire extinguishers were found during a search of the main suspect’s apartment, authorities said.
Both suspects have changed their private lives and behavior recently, Austria’s top security official, Franz Ruff, told reporters.
The main suspect, an Austrian with North Macedonian roots, had “changed his appearance and adapted to Islamic State propaganda”.
The second suspect, an Austrian of Turkish or Croatian descent, is separated from his girlfriend, the official said.
Ruff previously confirmed that authorities had received information “from foreign partners” that led to the arrests, but declined to comment further on the matter.
The police had promised to increase the security of the concerts, but the organizers canceled Swift’s performances.
The first jihadist attack with casualties occurred in Austria in November 2020, when an “Islamic State” supporter killed four and wounded 23 people in Vienna.
It was already reported that Swift’s concerts were scheduled for Thursday, Friday and Saturday at the Ernst Happel Stadium in Vienna. The concerts were completely sold out, with around 65,000 people expected to attend each.
The organizer of the concert “Barracuda Music” announced that the concerts were canceled on Wednesday night after receiving information from the authorities about the threat of terrorism. Tickets are refundable.
2024-08-08 15:42:09
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