Taylor Swift cancels Austrian concerts after terror plot uncovered

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Vienna authorities discovered a terrorist plot targeting Taylor Swift's fans, leading to the cancellation of three of her concerts in the city.

The police in Austria apprehended a 19-year-old Austrian resident on Wednesday morning and later in the day, they also arrested another person whose age and nationality were not revealed.

Franz Ruf, the head of public safety at Austria's interior ministry, announced on Wednesday night that arrests were made to prevent a potential terrorist attack at the Ernst-Happel-Stadium, where Swift was scheduled to perform over the next three days.

"After learning about an upcoming terrorist attack, we must sadly announce the cancellation of the three planned shows for the safety of all attendees," a representative from Barracuda Music, the organizer of Swift's concerts in Austria, stated.

Tickets will be returned within the following ten days, as per the announcement.

As per Ruf, the teenager, aged 19, was taken into custody in Lower Austria, which is the area near Vienna, after being monitored by the intelligence authorities of the country.

Ruf reported that the suspect pledged loyalty to the current leader of the terrorist organization Islamic State in an online conversation that was obtained by Austrian security agencies last month.

He was then watched closely and authorities found out that he was potentially plotting to carry out an attack on people attending Swift's concert this week.

The person started gathering explosive materials, as per intelligence officers. Ruf mentioned there was a "strong suspicion of potential harm".

He said that a second person has been arrested but he did not give any more information. The investigation is still happening and the authorities in Austria are trying to see if there are other people involved in the plot who were connected to those who were arrested.

Over 170,000 fans of Swift were upset when her concerts in Vienna were canceled suddenly.

The Austrian government proposed increasing police presence at the events, but Barracuda decided against it due to concerns about the high risk of an attack and uncertainties surrounding the plot.

Austrian officials reported that a significant operation was currently in progress.

Just nearly four years ago, a single extremist attacker went on a violent spree in Vienna, causing the death of four people and leaving many more injured in what became Austria's most devastating act of terrorism.

Austrian officials have been more cautious since then, especially due to vulnerabilities that were revealed in their intelligence and security departments before the 2020 incident.

The government promised a complete overhaul of Austrian intelligence, with more funding and focus on a new domestic security agency called the State Security and Intelligence Directorate (DSN).

In the previous year, the head of the DSN, Omar Haijawi-Pirchner, revealed that the agency had stopped a potential terrorist attack at Vienna's yearly pride parade. Three young men were apprehended and charged with plans to harm attendees using air guns, sabres, and axes, as well as intending to drive a car into the crowd.