An ISIS terror plot at a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna, Austria, was thwarted on Wednesday after authorities arrested two men allegedly connected to planned terrorist attacks at big events in the European city, which included the pop star’s upcoming shows.
Swift’s upcoming shows on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday at the Ernst Happel Stadium in Vienna are still scheduled to go on, according to police who said “the concrete danger has been minimized,” reported NBC News.
The two suspects had become radicalized via the internet and had specific, detailed plans on how they were going to carry out their terrorist attacks, authorities noted.
Vienna State Police Director Franz Ruf and Police Chief Gerhard Purstl added that one of the men arrested by Austrian federal and state police was a 19-year-old who pledged his allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
A bomb squad reportedly found chemical substances after the 19-year-old suspect was taken into custody. While it remains unclear if the chemicals could have been used to build a bomb, an investigation into the nature of the substances is still underway.
Austria’s Cobra unit — similar to the FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team — assisted with the arrests of the two suspects, NBC News reported.
Police added that there will be increased security measures at Swift’s concerts, including heavy weapons teams, K-9 units, bomb squads, and tactical vehicles. Fans, meanwhile, have been warned of potential delays as authorities conduct extensive visitor and vehicle checks.
If the terrorist attack at Swift’s concert were to transpire, it would likely ring eerily reminiscent to the May 2017 Islamic terrorist suicide bombing of the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England, which took place after a performance by pop star Ariana Grande, resulting in 22 dead.
This is a developing story. Check Breitbart News for more updates.
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