Third teenager arrested over foiled Taylor Swift concert attack

August 09 -  A third suspect has been arrested in connection with a foiled terror attack on Taylor Swift’s now-cancelled concerts in Vienna, the Austrian interior minister has said.

The 18-year-old Iraqi man is understood to have been an associate of the main 19-year-old suspect, identified as Beran A, an Austrian with North Macedonian roots.

Gerhard Karner, the interior minister, announced the most recent arrest at a press conference in the Austrian capital on Friday.

Authorities say they believe the plot was inspired by the Islamic State group and al-Qaida. Bomb-making materials including chemical substances and technical devices that indicated “concrete preparatory acts” in the “advanced stages” were found during a raid of the main suspect’s home in Ternitz, south of Vienna, investigators said.

According to police, one of the suspects has confessed to planning to “kill as many people as possible outside the concert venue”.

About 20,000 to 35,000 non-ticket holders were expected to gather outside the Ernst Happel stadium for each of the three concerts, according to authorities. Up to 65,000 were due to attend inside.

The three sold-out concerts, part of Swift’s blockbuster Eras tour, were cancelled on Wednesday after details emerged of the plot, which was due to be executed on Thursday or Friday, authorities said.

The decision left tens of thousands of fans, many of whom had travelled to Austria from around the world, devastated.

Impromptu gatherings of fans, known as Swifties, across the city singing Swift’s songs and swapping homemade bracelets have provided consolation for many. Fans have been promised a refund of the ticket price but not the hotel or travel costs connected to their trips, which in many cases have run into thousands of euros.