Austrian authorities have arrested a third suspect in connection with an alleged terror plot targeting Taylor Swift’s now-cancelled Eras Tour shows in Vienna.
Austria’s Minister of the Interior Gerhard Karner said on Friday, August 9, that an 18-year-old was detained on Thursday, August 8, reports the Associated Press.
Mr Karner said the teenager had been in contact with the 19-year-old main suspect in the case who was arrested earlier this week along with a 17-year-old suspect.
The 18-year-old comes from the social environment of the main suspect, Karner said.
Both the 18-year-old and the main suspect are accused of pledging allegiance to ISIS.
“He had been in contact with the main perpetrator, but is not directly connected to the attack plans,” the Austrian minister said.
“But, as was found out a few days ago, he took an oath of allegiance specifically to the IS on August 6.”
On Wednesday, two males were arrested on suspicion of planning a terrorist attack at Ernst Happel Stadium, where the singer was due to bring her Eras Tour this weekend.
In a press conference on Thursday, the head of the Directorate of State Security and Intelligence, Omar Haijawi-Pirchner, said a 19-year-old suspect was aiming to “kill himself and a large crowd at the concert either today or tomorrow.”
It has been claimed the suspect planned to use knives and explosives to carry out his attack, and bomb chemicals were found during a search of his home.
Mr Haijawi-Pirchner also said the prime suspect was “clearly radicalised in the direction of the Islamic State and thinks it is right to kill infidels”.
The second suspect, a 17-year-old, had started a job at the concert venue just a few days ago.
It’s believed he was employed by a company providing services at the venue for the concerts.
Austrian media said the 19-year-old had stolen the chemicals from his former employer, a local metalworking firm, and had built a bomb.
The Kurier newspaper reported that he had planned to plough a car into the crowd outside the stadium and had also considered using machetes and knives.
US media, citing anonymous sources, reported that the initial tip had come from US intelligence and had been passed on to Austrian authorities and Europol.
