Vienna police have successfully foiled a terror plot aimed at Taylor Swift‘s upcoming concert series.

Authorities arrested two men suspected of planning an attack on the pop star’s shows at the Ernst Happel Stadium, where Taylor Swift is set to perform three sold-out concerts as part of her Eras Tour.

The primary suspect, a 19-year-old Austrian national, was apprehended in Ternitz, Lower Austria. He was reportedly living with his parents when police executed the arrest. Another man, whose identity remains undisclosed, was also detained in connection with the plot.

During the raid, authorities discovered various chemicals and substances in the 19-year-old’s home. Investigators are currently analyzing these materials to determine if they could have been used to construct an explosive device. The arrests were carried out by Austria’s Cobra unit, an elite counter-terrorism team akin to the FBI’s Hostage Rescue Team.

The young Austrian suspect had allegedly pledged allegiance to ISIS in July and, along with his accomplice, had detailed plans to carry out the attack during Swift’s concerts from Thursday to Saturday. Director General for Public Safety Franz Ruf stated at a press conference, “The suspected perpetrator was focused on the Taylor Swift concerts. Preparatory actions were detected.”

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Ruf confirmed that the immediate threat has been neutralized but emphasized that investigations are ongoing to identify any additional accomplices. The head of Vienna’s police, Gerhard Pürstl, noted that the concerts were expected to draw 65,000 attendees per day, with an additional 22,000 fans anticipated to gather outside the venue. In response to the threat, special forces, police dogs, and anti-terror units will be deployed to ensure the safety of the event.

As a result of these developments, all three concerts were canceled on Wednesday night due to heightened security concerns.

This thwarted plot echoes the tragic 2017 Manchester Arena bombing, where a suicide bomber targeted an Ariana Grande concert, resulting in 22 fatalities and over a thousand injuries. The swift action by Vienna’s police has potentially averted a similar catastrophe, underscoring the ongoing threat of terrorism at high-profile public events.

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