An 18-year-old Iraqi national was apprehended in Vienna as part of an investigation into a purported scheme to target a Taylor Swift concert in the Austrian capital, according to the interior ministry on Friday.
The Iraqi individual is believed to be associated with the same group as the primary suspect, a 19-year-old Austrian of North Macedonian descent, the ministry stated. The leading suspect, who pledged allegiance to Daesh, was allegedly planning a deadly attack on the approximately 20,000 fans expected to assemble outside Vienna's Ernst Happel Stadium. Taylor Swift's scheduled concerts in Vienna for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday were all called off on Wednesday due to security issues.
Devastated Dubai residents, who had spent up to Dh10,000 for flights to Vienna to attend the concert, found solace in the fact that the cancellation had potentially saved thousands of lives. Two additional Austrian teenagers, aged 17 and 15, were arrested on Wednesday in relation to the alleged plot. The 15-year-old has since been released and is now considered a witness, as reported by the Kurier newspaper on Friday. The Iraqi suspect reportedly pledged loyalty to Daesh on August 6, but it is uncertain whether he was involved in the intended assault, according to the newspaper.
