Taylor Swift concert terror plot foiled as police in Austria arrest…see more

Taylor Swift concert terror plot foiled as police in Austria arrest 2 suspects
Austrian media reported 2 men, one of whom is loyal to ISIS, were arrested for allegedly plotting terror attacks on upcoming Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna

Two men were reportedly arrested in Austria on suspicion of terror for allegedly plotting attacks on the upcoming Taylor Swift concerts scheduled in Vienna on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

A large police operation was conducted early Wednesday in Ternitz, a town of about 15,000 people in the Neunkirchen district of Lower Austria, according to the Austrian daily newspaper Der Standard and The Associated Press.

A man was taken into custody, and special forces conducted a search of his home spanning several hours, police spokesman Johann Baumschlager told the newspaper. He added that several nearby houses and a section of a retirement home needed to be evacuated, and some roads were closed as a result. Investigators are analyzing several chemical substances seized at the suspect’s home.

Investigators believe one of the suspects had become radicalized online and had sworn an oath of allegiance to the current leader of the Islamic State (ISIS), Der Standard reported.

At a press conference on Wednesday evening, General Director of Public Security Franz Ruf, joined by Vienna State Police President Gerhard Pürstl, reportedly confirmed a 19-year-old “Austrian citizen” was arrested in Ternitz that morning, while a second man was arrested in Vienna in the afternoon.

Kronen Zeitung, another Austrian newspaper, described one of the suspects as an Austrian with North Macedonian roots who lived with his family in Ternitz.

The report said the two men carried out “specific preparatory actions for a terrorist attack,” and the 19-year-old specifically was aiming to target the Swift concerts.

Pürstl reportedly said that with the now “minimized danger,” the concerts scheduled for Thursday, Friday and Saturday at Ernst Happel Stadium will still take place but under increased security measures.