Syrian teen charged in failed terror attack on Taylor Swift concert

A Syrian teen has been charged with helping to try to carry out a bloodbath bomb attack on a Taylor Swift concert in Vienna last summer, according to authorities.The juvenile suspect, only identified as “Mohammad A,” aided a fellow extremist by translating Arabic bomb-making instructions and hooking him up with an online Islamic State militia contact to plan the would-be terror attack at Ernst Happel Stadium, German prosecutors alleged Friday.“Mohammad A has adhered to the ideology of the terrorist organization Islamic State (IS) since April 2024 at the latest,” a statement from the prosecutor general said.From mid-July to August 2024, the Syrian teen allegedly coordinated with a young Austrian suspect who was planning to unleash chaos at one of Swift’s massive “Eras Tour” concerts before the plot was foiled.Police have already made multiple arrests tied to the suspected terror cell.Three men, ages 19, 18, and 17, were previously taken into custody in Vienna.News of the thwarted attack prompted the cancellation of Swift’s three sold-out Eras shows in the city starting Aug.

8, 2024.The suspects had planned to drive a bomb-filled car into the crowd outside the venue to kill “as many people as possible” and had reportedly just been hired by the venue to work security.They allegedly wanted to also attack fans with machetes, security officials previously said.Authorities believed the teens were radicalized online.Austria’s coalition government agreed on a plan earlier this month to enable police to monitor suspects’ secure messaging to thwart future planned militant attacks, ending what security officials have said is a rare and dangerous blind spot for a European Union country.Mohammad A’s exact age has not yet been released.With Post wires...