A 19-year-old Austrian terrorism suspect had taken concrete steps in planning an attack on a Taylor Swift concert, with chemical substances found during a search of his residence, Austria’s general director for public security said.
The teenager, with North Macedonian roots, is considered the main suspect, working closely with a 17-year-old Austrian, general director for public security Frankz Ruf told ORF radio.
The two males are part of a small group police are looking into, said Ruf, adding the 19-year-old had pledged allegiance to the radical Islamic State group.
“We are investigating their wider surroundings,” said Ruf, adding the threat was minimised with the arrests.
Swift’s three concerts in Vienna, expected to draw 195,000 people, were cancelled late on Wednesday after the government flagged a planned attack. Police detained three people suspected of plotting attacks on concerts.