Taylor Swift terror suspects planned to use bomb-filled car at concert

The two teen suspects planned to drive a car bomb into crowds outside the Vienna venue in an attempt to kill as many people as possible.

A screen shot of a man arrested in connection with an Islamist plot to attack a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna. Pcture: AFP

The two teenage suspects arrested over a plot to attack a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna had planned to drive a bomb-filled car into crowds outside the venue in an attempt to kill as many people as possible, authorities said.

Austrian authorities detained two suspects on Wednesday for allegedly plotting to attack one of three Vienna concerts by the US star, which had been due to start on Thursday. All three dates were cancelled on Wednesday, leaving discon­solate “Swifties” to gather in the Austrian capital.

The 19-year-old main suspect had confessed, saying he “intended to carry out an attack using ­explosives and knives”, saiddomestic intelligence agency (DSN) head Omar Haijawi-Pirchner.

“His aim was to kill himself and a large number of people during the concert, either today or ­tomorrow.” The concerts hadbeen to run from Thursday to Saturday.

A second suspect, a 17-year-old Austrian, was employed at a facility management company that would have “provided services” at the Ernst Happel Stadium where Swift was to perform, Mr Haijawi-Pirchner said.

Taylor Swift fans sing together in the centre of Vienna on Thursday. Picture: Getty Images

The younger suspect, who has so far refused to talk to authorities, was “in the area” of the stadium when he was detained.

Chancellor Karl Nehammer said there were “concrete and ­detailed” plans to commit a “bloodbath”. Interior Minister Gerhard Karner said a “tragedy was averted”. “The situation was very serious”, he said, particularly in view of last week’s attackat a Swift-themed event in Britain, where three girls were killed.

Explosives and detonators were found in a search of the main suspect’s apartment.

Austria’s top security chief Franz Ruf said the two suspects had recently made changes in their private lives.

The main suspect, an Austrian with Northern Macedonian roots, had changed “his appearance and adapted it to Islamic Stat epropaganda”, while the second, an Austrian of Turkish or Croatian origin, had broken up with his girlfriend, he said.

Mr Ruf earlier confirmed that authorities had received information “from foreign partners” that led to the arrests, but he ­declined to specify which. In Washington, a State ­Department spokesman declined to comment on whether US intelligence had helped foil the plot.

Austrian police had promised to ramp up security for the concerts while playing down any concrete danger, but organisers still cancelled Swift’s shows, which had each been expected to welcome 65,000 fans. Swift’s fans gathered in parks and plazas across Vienna to share their disappointment. Dilyara Joldassova, a 23-year-old engineer who travelled from Kazakhstan for the show, said she was “broken-hearted”.

Swift did not immediately comment on the decision to cancel the Vienna shows but after last week’s attack in Britain saidshe was “completely in shock”. Three girls were killed and five people seriously wounded in the mass stabbing at a Swift-themed dance class in Southport, England.

According to Mr Ruf, police “did everything humanly possible to ensure” that the Vienna concerts “could go ahead”, but the cancellation decision was taken by the organisers.

The 34-year-old star had been due to bring her record-breaking Eras Tour, which began its European leg in Paris in May, to Vienna. Eras is already the first tour to sell more than $US1bn in tickets and is on track to more than double that by the time it ends in Vancouver in December.

AFP