Iraqi teenage IS member arrested regarding Taylor Swift terror attack

A teenager from Iraq has been arrested in relation to the planned attack on a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna, say CNN, with the outlet also stating that the criminal “is said to have come from the same circle as the main suspect, a 19-year-old Austrian with North Macedonian roots”.

The Kurier newspaper in Vienna said that the young Iraqi in question is reported to have sworn allegiance to IS on Aug. 6. However, at this stage, it remains unclear whether he had anything to do with the planned attack.

Two men were initially arrested, one of them 19-years-old, and it was revealed that they had met and radicalised each other online. However, two other Austrians, aged 17 and 15, were also detained, with the latter later being released as a witness.

The group were planning a potentially deadly attack outside the Ernst Happel Stadium in Austria’s capital city. Concerts planned for Thursday, Friday and Saturday were all cancelled as a result, with the promotors receiving “confirmation from government officials of a planned terrorist attack at Ernst Happel Stadium” and as a result “hav[ing] no choice but to cancel the three scheduled shows for everyone’s safety”.

After the arrests were made, authorities reported that “chemical substances” were found at the home of the 19-year-old, who had also allegedly pledged allegiance to ISIS. Whether or not the substances were used to make explosives is yet to be revealed.

Fans took to the streets in large numbers outside Swift’s hotel in Vienna, where they performed their own concert. The singing went on into the night, with thousands of fans standing defiant in the face of the threat of terror.

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As things stand, Swift’s Eras Tour will continue after the Vienna dates and her shows planned for London will go ahead. Mayor of the English capital, Sadiq Khan, was confident when asked, saying London is “looking forward to welcoming Taylor Swift back. We have a huge amount of experience in policing these events, we’re never complacent, many lessons were learned after the awful Manchester Arena attack. The police work closely, not just with City Hall, but with councils, but also with those who host concerts, like the Taylor Swift concert coming up over the next couple of weeks.”

“I’m sure Vienna has got its own reasons to cancel the Taylor Swift concerts, we’re going to carry on, working closely with police (and) ensuring that the Taylor Swift concerts can take place in London safely.”