In Vienna, local authorities have nipped in the bud a sensational terrorist plan: to attack the concerts of the most famous singer in the world, Taylor Swift, whose three shows were canceled by the organizers as a precaution.
Two people have been arrested. The first one yesterday morning in a small town, Ternitz. The suspected terrorist is a 19-year-old resident of Lower Austria, whose identity has not been revealed but it has been made known that he had sworn allegiance to ISIS.
The police then raided his home, evacuating several nearby houses and closing the streets. The police then arrested the young man and seized suspicious "chemical substances." According to the investigation, he had become radicalized on the Internet.
The second suspect was arrested in the afternoon in Vienna and according to local media he is 17 years old although the authorities have not provided further information. According to some Austrian newspapers - but local authorities have not confirmed the news - there are three other suspected attackers on the run, also involved in planning an attack on the Ernst-Happel stadium.
Austrian Police Chief Gerhard Pürstl said a concrete danger had been averted, but security measures had been tightened for Taylor Swift's three concerts and other events scheduled for the weekend in Vienna. He then announced the cancellation of all three dates. "When we received confirmation from government officials of the plan to carry out a terrorist attack at the Ernst Happel Stadium, we had no choice but to cancel the three scheduled shows for everyone's safety," Barracuda Music wrote on Instagram, adding that fans - estimated to be at least 65,000 - would be refunded.
(Unioneonline/ss)