The main suspect in Vienna was planning a suicide bombing at Taylor Swift's concert.
"His plan was to kill people outside the stadium," said intelligence chief Omar Haijawi-Pirchner at a press conference. Neither he nor a second suspect arrested had tickets. The attack was planned for Thursday or Friday evening. However, both men were arrested on Wednesday, leading the organizer to cancel all Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna.
The second suspect had worked for a company scheduled to provide services at the stadium on Thursday evening, Haijawi-Pirchner added. The 17-year-old is refusing to speak, and material from the Islamic State (IS) militant group and the Al-Qaeda terrorist network was found with him. On Wednesday evening, investigators had reported that the main suspect had pledged allegiance to IS. In the apartment of the suspect arrested in Lower Austria, police seized chemical substances.
The second suspect's employment at the stadium company raised concerns, as it coincided with the suspected suicide bombing plot. The intelligence chief also revealed that evidence of support for the Islamic State and Al-Qaeda terrorist networks was found, suggesting a possible motive for the potential suicide bombing.
