Taylor Swift terror plotters intended to kill ‘ten of thousands’ with homemade explosions in ISIS-inspired massacre

Islamic State-inspired terror suspects planned to kill tens of thousands of fans at Taylor Swift concerts in vienna According to the authorities, homemade explosives were used.

The CIA alerted Austrian authorities to the devastating plan, leading to the arrest of three suspects and the cancellation of three sold-out Eras Tour shows.

The agency’s deputy director, David Cohen, spoke about the foiled plan at the annual Intelligence and National Security Summit in Maryland.

“They were planning to kill a large number of people — tens of thousands of people at this concert, including I’m sure many Americans — and they were quite advanced in doing so,” Cohen said Wednesday.

“The Austrians were able to make these arrests because the service and our partners within the intelligence community provided them with information about the plans of this ISIS-affiliated group.”

“They planned to kill a large number of people, tens of thousands of people at this concert,” said CIA Deputy Director David Cohen

The main suspect, a 19-year-old Austrian man with a heart for the Islamic State, wanted to attack the stadium with knives and homemade chemical explosives, which were found by investigators in his house.

More than 95,000 fans were expected at the concert. Investigators found chemicals and explosives in his home.

Austrian Interior Minister Gerhard Karner said help from outside intelligence agencies was needed because Austrian investigators are legally prohibited from tapping text messages.

The lawyer for the 19-year-old suspect described the allegations as “overacting at its best” and argued that Austrian authorities were deliberately exaggerating the situation to justify the acquisition of new surveillance powers.

Swift first spoke about the recent cancellations of her Vienna concerts last week, after her London concerts ended.

“Having our shows in Vienna cancelled was devastating,” she wrote in a statement on Instagram. “The reason for the cancellations filled me with a new sense of dread and a huge amount of guilt, as so many people were planning on coming to those shows.”

She thanked authorities – “thanks to them we mourned concerts and not lives,” she wrote – and said she had waited to speak until the European leg of her Eras Tour had ended, to prioritize safety.

Concert organizer Barracuda Music announced that the three-day concert series in Vienna, scheduled to begin on August 8, has been canceled. According to the organizers, the arrests in connection with a related conspiracy took place too close to the date of the event.

The main suspect and a 17-year-old were arrested on August 6, the day before the cancellations were announced.

On August 8, another suspect, aged 18, was arrested. In accordance with Austrian privacy regulations, their names have not been made public.

The shows in London, the next stop on Swift’s tour after Vienna, came shortly after a tragic stabbing incident at a Swift dance class in the UK that left three young girls dead.

‘Swifties’ gather in Vienna’s Corneliusgasse after authorities confirm planned attack on venue and cancellations of Taylor Swift concerts in Vienna

In a statement issued after the Southport attack, Swift expressed her deep shock and loss and offered her condolences to the families affected.

News reports said Swift met a number of survivors backstage during her performances in London.

Cohen praised the CIA’s efforts to prevent the planned violence and stressed that other successful counterterrorism operations often go unnoticed.

He expressed pride in the work of his agency and said many employees, including fans of Taylor Swift, viewed the day as a major victory for the CIA.

The record-breaking tour is currently on hold until the fall.

Swift’s next show is on November 14 in Toronto, Canada.