Austrian police arrest 2 suspects for plotting terror attacks on large events in Vienna

By Nur Asena Erturk

Two suspects have been arrested in Austria for plotting attacks on events in Vienna, according to media reports.

Austrian Police said in a statement on Wednesday that the alert level in Austria “remains high.”

A 19-year-old suspect was arrested in the town of Ternitz in eastern Austria, who allegedly pledged his allegiance to the terror group Daesh/ISIS in a video a few weeks ago, Franz Ruf, Austria's director-general for public security reportedly said in a news conference, according to the Austrian daily Kronen Zeitung.

His suspected accomplice, a 17-year-old teenager, was also arrested, the same source noted.

Police found chemical substances and devices in the main suspect’s house.

American singer Taylor Swift’s concerts in Vienna this week were canceled in this context.

“With confirmation from government officials of a planned terrorist attack at Ernst Happel Stadium, we have no choice but to cancel the three scheduled shows for everyone’s safety,” the organizer company Barracuda Music said in a post on Facebook on Wednesday.

The concerts were due to take place on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday this week.